The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be heading toward a rebuild, which could open the door for the San Francisco Giants to strike a deal with them. In a hypothetical trade, the Giants might be able to address multiple needs at once.
With the front office now under new leadership, a reset in St. Louis feels increasingly likely. The team’s on-field performance has slipped, attendance is down, and the organization is carrying expensive veteran contracts—such as those belonging to Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado—that they may be eager to shed.
SF Giants to address two needs in trade with Cardinals
Gray would be a natural target for the Giants, as he’s long been viewed as a strong match for San Francisco—and it’s easy to see why. Throughout his career, he’s been a steady and reliable starter. In his most recent season with the Cardinals, he posted a 14–8 record and a 4.28 ERA over 32 starts.
If the Giants were to acquire him, he would help form a strong trio atop the rotation alongside Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Add a proven veteran like Max Scherzer and emerging arm Landen Roupp to round things out, and San Francisco would be heading into 2026 with a very respectable starting staff.
The big thing with Gray will be determining how much of his contract the Giants would take on. The Cardinals are reportedly willing to pay down some of Gray’s salary in trade talks which would be good for the Giants, but it may mean St. Louis will want more in a return.
Turning to the other bird the Giants would get in a trade with St. Louis, outfielder Lars Nootbaar seems like he would be a solid fit in right field. Nootbaar slashed .234/.325/.361 with 13 homers and 48 runs batted in.
Right field is an open spot for the Giants that they are likely not willing to entrust to young players like Drew Gilbert and Luis Matos. Nootbaar would give them a serviceable option out there.
What would it take for the Giants to get these players? Maybe trading top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt and outfielder Luis Matos as well as an additional prospect would get a deal done.
Pitching is the biggest need for the Giants this offseason, but right field is a need as well so if the giants could address both of those needs in a trade with St. Louis that would be a smart move.
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