How Cardinals’ quick pitching additions could impact Yankees

The Cardinals got themselves a frontline starter on Monday morning, agreeing to a three-year, $75 million contract with Sonny Gray.

The terms were first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

The 34-year-old Gray is cashing in after finishing second for the American League Cy Young Award, which went to Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. A former Yankee himself, Gray went 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA and just eight home runs allowed over 32 starts for the Twins in 2023.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have now agreed to deals with three starting pitchers after suffering a miserable last-place finish in 2023. Prior to the Gray news, St. Louis signed veterans Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn – another ex-Yankee – to one-year pacts with club options for 2025.

The Cards’ quick pitching additions could impact the Yankees, as the two teams have been viewed as logical trade partners since the summer.

The Redbirds employ a surplus of controllable players who can handle the outfield and hit from the left side, including Alec Burleson, Dylan Carlson (switch), Lars Nootbar, Brendan Donovan and Tommy Edman (switch). It’s no secret the Yankees have needed players who fit that description. The Cardinals, meanwhile, needed starters entering the offseason.

The Yankees can still offer arms in a deal for the aforementioned players, but St. Louis’ need is less dire with the additions of Gray, Gibson and Lynn. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the two sides can’t work something out this winter.

Even with the moves they’ve made, the Cardinals aren’t exactly projecting an intimidating rotation, which would currently also include Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Matz, meanwhile, is the only member of the group under the age of 34.

While the Cardinals also have some pitching prospects in the upper levels of their system, adding a young, cost-controlled starter wouldn’t be a terrible idea for them. When it comes to the Yankees, MLB-ready possibilities include Clarke Schmidt and Michael King. There’s also Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez, to a lesser extent.

In the minors, the Yankees have a few pitching prospects of their own that could be dangled in trades, including Chase Hampton, Drew Thorpe and Clayton Beeter. The first two may be a bit steep depending on which of the Cardinals’ outfielders we’re talking about, but the Yankees certainly have options if St. Louis wants to add some youth to its immediate and/or future pitching plans.

Expect the two clubs to remain linked as next week’s Winter Meetings near.

Good for Gray

Gray’s time in pinstripes went poorly, as he recorded a 4.51 ERA over 41 games for the Yankees from 2017-2018 following a trade from the Athletics. Gray arrived with high expectations, but his short tenure included a move to the bullpen – Lynn coincidentally replaced him in the rotation – and ended with a trade to the Reds.

Gray has since returned to form, recording a 3.22 ERA for Cincinnati and Minnesota while logging two top-10 Cy Young seasons. His deal with the Cardinals will be the second sizeable contract he’s signed since leaving New York, as the Reds inked him to an extension after acquiring him.

Gray disappointed in the Bronx, adding to the list of talented players who have had trouble performing there. But he’s rebounded nicely since leaving town.

Another Japanese star posted

Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t the only Japanese ace on the market.

Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yokohama BayStars have posted Shota Imanaga, according to Kyodo News. The 30-year-old southpaw recorded a 2.80 ERA over 148 innings in 2023 and has a sub-3.00 ERA over the last two seasons.

A potential mid-rotation starter, Imanaga could make sense for the Yankees and Mets, among other teams, if they don’t win the Yamamoto sweepstakes. If nothing else, Imanaga would be a cheaper alternative; MLB Trade Rumors predicted he would get a five-year, $85 million deal.