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Considering Gray made only $10 million last year, I have no problem keeping him at $35 million next year.
I don’t think Gray’s contract is untradeable at all and teams would be interested. But that doesn’t mean I want to trade him. Like forsch said too, Gray structured his contract in a way to help the team while the org thought they would be competitive with Goldy and Arenado (24).
I hope Gray stays next year and I would even consider picking up his 2027 option if he is good next year. I know he makes a lot of money but the Cardinals desperately need him. The pitching cupboard is bare. He can easily fit into our budget with all of other money coming off the books.
If Gray pitches well for the Cardinals next year, I would pick up his option for 2027. It will effectively be $25 million since it would cost $5 million to not pick it up.
I don’t know what this team does to move from a bunch of average regulars to getting a star or at least a dominant middle of the order bat. I don’t think that can be addressed at this deadline with the trade chips available. If Donovan would get a real true power bat prospect, I would make that trade. Donovan has value with 2.5 years of control, so he would get a good return. I would really focus on quality rather than quantity though and I doubt we could line up very well as a partner for that type of middle of the order prospect.
With the tremendous amounts of money and length of terms that a genuine impact bat demands these days it’s almost a requirement that the star player is homegrown. We can expect to see another Musial or Pujols in about 50 years.
Well we shall see on Weatherholt. Maybe he’s the bat but it’s early to tell.
It’s been an issue for a long time. Produce quality players but nothing star or sticks as star quality. Then we fill the holes by making trades of younger near ready MLB talent. Right now we have a couple guys but some of the rest have been oft injured this year. Dimishing the value.
There’s been a handful of players other than the 2 all time greats in the person of Musial and Pujols that have been cultivated through the Cardinal system in the last 50 to 75 years that could be termed star players who featured an impact bat. Boyer, Simmons and Hernandez immediately come to mind, so there’s hope.
In the DeWitt years, the pattern was to trade for veterans to be MOTO bats. McGwire, Edmonds, Rolen, Holliday and more recently Goldy and Arenado.
Randy Karraker talked about why this has changed.
"There isn't a team out there now that can't afford to keep a player that's headed towards free agency."
Randy Karraker talks about how the league has changed #STLCards pic.twitter.com/iCbRwPsHoW
— STL Sports Central (@STLSprtsCntrl) July 28, 2025
I think Wetherholt looks like he can be a great player who plays in multiple All Star games, but more of a #1, #2 type that maybe hits 20 HRs rather than a middle of the order guy.
I do see what you referenced Brian in that teams don’t trade guys who have shown they are middle of the order bats. I think instead the team should try to target some prospects who aren’t top 30ish yet, but have the potential to be.
The Dodgers have a couple of helium prospects in Zyhir Hope and Josue de Paula that are younger and this raw, but have great power potential. The Dodgers have shown they will trade those types in the past to improve.
Spencer Jones for the Yankees has 70 grade power as well. He has big hit tool concern, but you are trying to take a risk to get a true impact bat.
ATM, Hope and de Paula are 2 prospects of the Dodgers that I looked at as a return for some sort of trade.
If Donovan would get a real true power bat prospect, I would make that trade. Donovan has value with 2.5 years of control, so he would get a good return.
I honestly can’t understand people wanting to trade Donovan for prospects.
Donovan has put up 10.8 WAR across four seasons. Walker & Gorman have put up a combined 1.8 WAR across a combined 7 seasons.
If the Cardinals want to return to winning, they first need to have guys averaging at least 2 WAR at every position.
JJ should not be added to the 40 or especially 26 until the end of April 2026. That would be EXTREMELY wasteful.
Brian Walton
In the DeWitt years, the pattern was to trade for veterans to be MOTO bats. McGwire, Edmonds, Rolen, Holliday and more recently Goldy and Arenado.
Randy Karraker talked about why this has changed.
I think this line of thinking is flawed. The Athletics would’ve probably been fine trading Rooker to us last year for Walker for instance. We could’ve overwhelmed a team for that power bat. It’s all in the perceived value.
Like the Ozuna trade. It didn’t work out as Ozuna was only a little above average, but if he would’ve been the Ozuna of 2017 or 2020, we would not have been nearly as upset about the trade.
There were guys out there for the taking if you could get them like Arizona getting Suarez from Seattle. Buxton was on the trading block two years ago. Schwarber will be a free agent as would Alonso (not sure on QO status on them).
Guys like Luis Robert or Bryan Reynolds are very much in the vein of what Suarez and Buxton were back in 2023.
I honestly can’t understand people wanting to trade Donovan for prospects.
I can’t either, but I would trade Donovan for an established starter with equal or better team control. At this point, Donovan’s contributions are probably replaceable by Wetherholt and a cheap free agent within a year. Within a year, we have basically nothing on the starting pitching front outside of Gray, Liberatore and guys like Pallante, who are borderline big league starters. I am sure they will do a little bargain bin shopping this winter, but I’d like a little more certainty.
Cardinals have roughly $48-50 million coming off their books next year with ….Mikolas, Helsley, Matz, Fedde, Maton
That would bring their Major League Payroll down to around $85 million with Gray and Aranado still on the team going by Sportrac.
They will have a few players that get more money, but that is some reduction from 2024’s payroll…. unless they plan on adding some free agents.
Donovan vs Walker/Gorman?
We can bring Donovans numbers down too, as you did with Gorman. Walker is -1.3 bwar per 162 for his career. Combine him with Herrera, and you drag Herrera down too. Not a fair evaluation.Ryan Helsley is one of the most popular trade targets with no less than a half-dozen teams interested to varying degrees. Among the suitors, per sources, are the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers and Blue Jays.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 29, 2025
Get traded then come back the next year? That is what Chapman did in 2016-17. Not sure if Bloom/DeWitt will be on board with bringing him back though.
Braced to be traded, closer Ryan Helsley says he's open to then re-signing with Cardinals https://t.co/vnnKW5oZCp
— STL Cardinals News (@STLCardsNews) July 29, 2025
Seeing more banter on a deal involving Arenado. Without really knowing, I sense a better than 50% chance of a deal coming together.
I wonder how close any deals are to happening and how many are bidding for guys like Helsley and Arenado?
The Blue Jays are acquiring Seranthony Dominguez from the Orioles for pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown, per source. @ShiDavidi and @bnicholsonsmith were on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 29, 2025
Even with the Dominguez acquisition, the Blue Jays remain firmly in the hunt for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, per sources.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 29, 2025
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