Sonny Gray Trade Rumors: 3 possible landing spots for pitcher after Cardinals emerge as potential sellers

Things aren't going well for the St. Louis Cardinals, and they may be forced to trade players like Sonny Gray. The ace was signed to a three-year deal in the offseason, but the Cardinals are five games under .500 and are emerging as possible sellers this deadline. That means anyone could go, including Gray.

Gray is an intriguing player to trade for since he just signed a long-term deal. It makes him a little more costly to deal for, but the track record and the simple availability of a top-end arm make him enticing for teams in need. Here are some of those teams who should be on the phone with St. Louis about Gray.

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Three landing spots for potential Sonny Gray trade

3) Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians should be all over Sonny Gray

The Cleveland Guardians are leading the AL Central despite having the 28th-ranked rotation by Fangraphs. The injury to Shane Bieber hurt their starting pitching, and the others have struggled.

To alleviate this, the Guardians should make a trade because bad pitching will eventually catch up to them. Thus, Sonny Gray makes for an excellent trade target. The Guardians usually trade out and not in, but Gray is under contract for a while and could replace pending FA Bieber for the next few seasons.

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2) Milwaukee Brewers

Sonny Gray makes sense for the Brewers

An in-division trade would be rare, but the Milwaukee Brewers just make too much sense for a Gray deal. They have the 22nd-best rotation in baseball after trading away Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles. They have been a surprisingly good team, leading the NL Central by 1.5 games.

If they want to keep pace and build a rotation that can match their excellent offense, then trading for someone is a good idea. Since Gray is under team control for this season and the next two, it makes perfect sense.

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1) Atlanta Braves

The Braves should consider adding Sonny Gray

Not that Sonny Gray needs to be revitalized, but the Atlanta Braves are excellent at getting the most out of pitchers.

Even Chris Sale, who'd been injured and ineffective, is reborn in a Braves uniform. And since the Braves lost Spencer Strider and are having trouble keeping up with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Gray is the ideal trade candidate.

He might cost a little more because he's under contract for three years, but the Braves have the farm system to make moves.