In an aggressive move aimed at fortifying their starting rotation, the St. Louis Cardinals have officially inked veteran free agent pitcher Sonny Gray to a three-year deal worth $75 million.
“We were hoping to sign a couple of pitchers we knew we could count on for innings … And if we could accomplish that, we were hoping we could do something a little bigger, a little longer, and obviously that’s where Sonny fits in,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said
The 34-year-old Gray is set to join a revamped Cardinals rotation that now boasts recent free agent acquisitions Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.
Sonny Gray looks great in Cardinal red. pic.twitter.com/bmgeEbMnRy
— Cardinal fan (@Cardinallfan) November 27, 2023
Gray is arriving on the back of an impressive 2023 season with the Minnesota Twins, finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole.
The seasoned right-hander notched his third career All-Star Game appearance after making 32 starts, amassing an 8-8 record with a stellar 2.79 ERA.
His performance included striking out 183 batters over 184 innings.
“Where I am in my career, I want to win. I’m coming to an organization like St. Louis – the tradition, just walking in here this morning, walking around seeing everything – the history is there,” Gray excitingly said.
“The feel is there. It’s just a baseball town and city and a place that I’m thrilled to be able to come and be part of it,” he added.
“I’m a big believer in me vs. you, having that mentality”
Sonny Gray is saying all of the right things. It’s clear that he’s a competitor and leader. (Video courtesy of @KMOV ) #stlcards pic.twitter.com/577kTQxhtC
— Brooke Grimsley (@BrookeGrimsley) November 27, 2023
With a solid track record spanning 11 seasons with the A’s, Yankees, Reds, and Twins, Gray has accumulated a 98-85 record with a commendable 3.47 ERA.
The Cardinals pursuit of added pitching became imperative after a challenging season where their beleaguered rotation struggled.
Gray is expected to play a pivotal role in the new-look rotation alongside Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, as well as recent additions Lynn and Gibson.
The more the day wears on, the more I love the deal to bring in Sonny Gray. pic.twitter.com/yS9b8YCIPI
— Ryan (@The_Ryan_Shull) November 27, 2023
St. Louis, which ranked 26th in starters’ ERA last season, is determined to bounce back after a very disappointing season (71-91) – their worst since 1990.
Gray is undoubtedly a solid addition, and you get the feeling he’s going to thrive in St. Louis.
What else do the Cardinals need to do this offseason???