The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be on the verge of a significant organizational reset, a situation that could open a prime window for the San Francisco Giants to pursue a mutually beneficial trade. In fact, a single deal with St. Louis might allow the Giants to address multiple needs at once, making the Cardinals an especially appealing partner this offseason.
With fresh decision-makers now steering the Cardinals’ front office, the franchise seems poised to shift toward a long-term rebuilding strategy. The club’s recent on-field performance has failed to meet expectations, and fan turnout has noticeably declined, adding further pressure to rethink their direction.
More: Red Sox Poach $8.6 Million Yankees Star
Complicating matters is a roster weighed down by expensive veteran contracts—most notably those belonging to Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado. Both players carry substantial financial commitments that St. Louis may prefer to shed as part of a broader effort to streamline payroll and reshape the roster around younger talent.
Given all this, the timing may be ideal for the Giants. If the Cardinals are motivated to offload salary and retool for the future, San Francisco could step in with a proposal that helps St. Louis accelerate its reset while also strengthening the Giants in key areas. It’s the kind of scenario where one transaction could simultaneously relieve the Cardinals of burdensome contracts and give the Giants an infusion of impact talent, making a potential trade between the two clubs particularly intriguing as the offseason unfolds.
SF Giants can address two needs in trade with Cardinals
The idea of targeting Sonny Gray has long appeared sensible for the San Francisco Giants, and the reasoning behind that perception is fairly straightforward. Gray has built a reputation throughout his career as the type of pitcher who provides reliability, professionalism, and steady production.
Even when his numbers fluctuate slightly from season to season, he consistently offers teams a dependable presence in the rotation. During his most recent campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals, Gray delivered a 14–8 record while posting a 4.28 earned run average across 32 starts. Those numbers reinforce his value as a durable veteran who can take the ball every fifth day and keep a team competitive.
From the Giants’ perspective, adding Gray would significantly reshape the complexion of their starting staff heading into the 2026 season. San Francisco already relies heavily on Logan Webb, who has become its unquestioned ace and one of the top workhorse starters in the National League. Behind him, Robbie Ray represents another proven arm—one with postseason experience and the ability to miss bats at a high rate when fully healthy. Slotting Gray into that mix would give the Giants an experienced trio capable of stabilizing the rotation from the top down.
The Giants could go even further by incorporating another veteran presence. Names such as Max Scherzer have been floated as potential short-term additions, and Scherzer’s competitiveness and leadership would certainly appeal to San Francisco if the financial structure made sense. Pairing a veteran like Scherzer with a developing arm such as Landen Roupp could round out the rotation in a balanced way: dependable veterans on one side and ascending youth on the other. If everything aligned correctly, the Giants would enter 2026 with a group of starters that blends experience, upside, and enough depth to withstand the inevitable challenges of a long MLB season.
However, the most complicated aspect of acquiring Gray relates not to his performance but to his contract. Any trade discussion involving him will require a clear understanding of how much salary the Giants would be expected to absorb. Reports suggest that the Cardinals are open to covering a portion of Gray’s remaining deal in order to facilitate a trade.
That scenario would benefit San Francisco, as it would free up payroll space for other needs. Still, concessions like that rarely come without a cost; if St. Louis is willing to reduce the financial burden for the acquiring club, the Cardinals would almost certainly expect a more substantial return in the prospect package. For the Giants, striking the right balance between financial flexibility and prospect capital will be essential.
More: White Sox officially exercised another $20 million contract
Beyond Gray, the hypothetical trade centered around a Cardinals rebuild frequently includes another key piece: outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Though he has experienced some inconsistency at the plate, Nootbaar offers defensive reliability, on-base skills, and left-handed balance—traits the Giants have valued in past roster construction. In his most recent season, Nootbaar produced a .234 batting average with a .325 on-base percentage and a .361 slugging mark. He also added 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. While those numbers are modest, they reflect a player capable of contributing across several facets of the game rather than relying purely on power or contact.
From San Francisco’s perspective, right field remains one of the least settled areas on the roster. The organization has talented young outfielders such as Drew Gilbert and Luis Matos, but entrusting a full-time starting role to either of them heading into a season with competitive expectations would be a significant gamble.
Both players have promise, but the Giants may prefer to insulate themselves by acquiring a more established hitter—someone who can deliver league-average or better production in the short term. Nootbaar fits that need well: he may not be a star player, but he provides a stable baseline of performance and can easily slot into a complementary role in the lineup.
A trade that brings both Gray and Nootbaar to San Francisco would not come cheaply, and any realistic proposal must account for the Cardinals’ top priorities as they begin a retooling or full-scale rebuild. St. Louis would likely focus on impact prospects, and in this scenario, someone like Carson Whisenhunt would almost certainly become a central component of the return package.
Whisenhunt, one of the Giants’ most highly regarded pitching prospects, has the combination of strikeout ability, projection, and long-term upside that would appeal to a team seeking to infuse its farm system with high-ceiling talent. Including Whisenhunt would be a difficult decision for San Francisco, but it might ultimately be necessary to secure a deal for both players.
Along with Whisenhunt, the Giants could be asked to include Luis Matos, a former top prospect who still possesses enticing tools at just 23 years old. Matos has shown flashes of offensive potential but has yet to cement himself as a long-term piece in the Giants’ outfield plans. St. Louis, on the other hand, might view him as a player worth giving an extended opportunity to during a rebuilding phase.
Beyond those two, the Cubs—or in this hypothetical, the Giants—would likely need to include an additional lower-level prospect or depth piece to satisfy St. Louis’ desire to maximize its return. Teams rarely move established Major League contributors without securing multiple future assets.
San Francisco’s motivations for pursuing such a deal stem from a combination of current needs and broader organizational goals. Pitching remains the most pressing priority for the Giants this offseason. Their rotation has experienced inconsistency, injuries, and departures over recent years, making reinforcements essential if they hope to contend in a competitive National League West. Gray’s addition would provide exactly the sort of stability and innings-eating capability they lack behind Webb.
More: Mariners get another crack trade for Red Sox slugger on three-player deal
At the same time, the outfield—especially right field—cannot be overlooked. Too often, the Giants have entered seasons with patchwork solutions or gambled heavily on untested talent. While developing prospects is important, teams with playoff aspirations generally avoid leaving major lineup spots in the hands of inexperienced players unless the upside is overwhelming. Nootbaar’s presence would give the Giants a dependable option in right field and offer lineup versatility, particularly against right-handed pitching.
Acquiring both players simultaneously would allow the Giants to address two major roster weaknesses in one transaction. Doing so might also provide them with more financial flexibility than pursuing separate moves on the free-agent market. Because the Cardinals appear willing to absorb part of Gray’s contract, the overall payroll impact for San Francisco might be smaller than expected, depending on the final structure of the deal. That could leave additional resources for bullpen upgrades, bench depth, or even a late-offseason splash if the market breaks a certain way.
The risks, of course, cannot be ignored. Trading away top prospects always carries long-term consequences. Whisenhunt could develop into a frontline starter elsewhere; Matos could flourish with more consistent playing time. But contending teams often walk that tightrope, weighing the uncertain promise of the future against the tangible benefits of the present. For the Giants, the question becomes whether the immediate upgrade to their rotation and outfield justifies parting with premium young talent.
Ultimately, if San Francisco has an opportunity to acquire a durable starter like Sonny Gray and a steady, competent outfielder like Lars Nootbaar in the same deal, it may be an advantageous route to pursue. Addressing both pitching and outfield needs in one move would help streamline their offseason plan and likely make them a more well-rounded team entering 2026. Even with the cost in prospects, such a trade might represent one of the more efficient ways for the Giants to strengthen their roster and position themselves for a competitive push.
More MLB News:
-
Red Sox Poach $8.6 Million Yankees Star
-
Mets right-hander garnered trade, finalizes $11.7M blockbuster deal
-
Giants to rebuild its bullpen with Yankees All-Star reliever this offseason
-
Phillies Surprising Move Cut Ties With Third Baseman After Disappointing Playoff Exit
-
Braves confirmed another blockbuster deal
-
Angels filled open spot with Cardinals’ star infielder Brendon Donovan
-
Angels balance lineup with Yankees left-handed bats
Be the first to comment