It only took one season for the Cardinals to regret signing Sonny Gray away from Twins

A year ago the Minnesota Twins were preparing to embark on what ended up being their most successful postseason run in nearly two decades.

Now the team is sifting through the wreckage of a season that crashed and burned, with some pretty big questions needing to be answered. The Twins started doing that this week, announcing that the braintrust of Rocco Baldelli, Derek Falvey, and Dave St. Peter would be back in 2025.

It marks the second straight offseason the team enters with looming questions. Last winter the Twins had to make a decision on whether to bring back Cy Young runner up Sonny Gray, who declined a $20 million qualifying offer to sign a three-year, $75 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

After just one season, the Cardinals are trying to walk that decision back.

Cardinals reportedly open to trade offers for Sonny Gray this winter

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Cardinals might end up trading Gray this winter if they get the right deal. In a situation not unfamiliar to Twins fans, Nightengale reports the Cardinals are expected to reduce payroll which would likely mean moving Gray's $75 million contract if they can.

"The St. Louis Cardinals, who will announce a series of personnel moves on Monday with Chaim Bloom taking on a greater role, plan to shop veteran starter Sonny Gray while reducing payroll," Nightengale reported.

Gray wasn't bad this season, but he was playing from behind thanks to whatever he did getting contrasted against this massive contract and his insane season with the Twins. He finished the year 13-9 but pitched fewer innings while giving up more runs than he did in 2023. His 3.84 ERA was up from last year but he threw more strikeouts than he has since his All-Star season back in 2019.

Before anyone assumes this might mean a reunion in Minnesota, Nightengale names the Cincinnati Reds as a potential suitor. It would be a full circle moment for Gray, who was traded from the Reds to the Twins back in 2022 before pitching his way to nearly winning the AL Cy Young a year later.

The Twins could get back in the Gray business, but there's a number of things complicating the two sides getting together again. For starters, the relationship between Gray and Rocco Baldelli wasn't exactly sunny, even if there was immense amounts of success had on both ends. Then there's the money aspect, as the Twins flat out refused to budge on their lowball offer to Gray, something he was brutally honest about when returning to Target Field this summer.

If the Twins are going to add to the payroll, which seems unlikely even if it's not going to further shrink, that money will be spent elsewhere. Minnesota also isn't going to give up prospects for Gray, who didn't have the greatest season last year but might still command a decent return package given his important role in a rotation.

What this really boils down to is how it took a single season for the Cardinals to become the Danny DeVito Shaking His Head meme after paying Gray. It also validates the Twins decision to not meet his asking price, which hopefully the wrong lessons aren't learned from by those in charge.

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