Dodgers Free Agent Target Sonny Gray Off the Board, Signs With NL Central Squad

Another free agent starting pitcher is off the board as right-hander Sonny Gray is signing with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. Gray was one of the better options for the Dodgers but elects to join former Dodgers pitcher Lance Lynn in St. Louis. The deal is for three years, worth $75 million.

MLB insider Jon Heyman was the first to break the news of the expected deal.

The veteran spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Twins, but his 2023 season was special. He posted an ERA of 2.79 over 32 starts, and a WHIP of 1.15.

Gray also added 183 strikeouts over 184 innings of work. He came in second in the American League Cy Young Award voting, losing out to Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees.

He would have been a nice No. 2 starter for the Dodgers, but the team seems to be in the race for other top arms this winter. They are targeting Yoshinobu Yamamoto from Japan, as well as their pursuit of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

LA is expected to be aggressive this winter in upgrading their roster, but since they are in the sweepstakes for the biggest names, patience may be required. Hopefully, when the dust finally settles, the Dodgers will have landed multiple top-tier players this offseason.

Gray is the second big-name free agent to sign this offseason, following starter Aaron Nola’s decision to head back to the Philadelphia Phillies. The hot stove has been slow to turn on but this agreement is a sign that we have finally some free-agent movement! Let the fun begin.

Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!