Brewers' division rival begins the rebuild baseball fans have been waiting for

Milwaukee Brewers fans aren't the only ones who have been eagerly awaiting the St. Louis Cardinals' rebuild. With aging veterans on expensive contracts and three consecutive seasons of missing out on the postseason, the Cardinals need a reset, and their willingness to do so became clear when they hired former Boston Red Sox' Chief of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom, who has become known for his controversial but highly successful rebuild in Boston.

The rest of the baseball world was licking their chops when reports surfaced that Bloom and the Cardinals were willing to include a significant financial component in any offseason deal involving one of their expensive veterans, including Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and William Contreras, who each have several years of productivity remaining. The Brewers, and the rest of the NL Central, knowing that they more than likely won't be on the receiving end of any of Bloom's trade calls this offseason, are just happy that some of these talented players who have tormented the division for years will be elsewhere in 2026.

However, the baseball world held somewhat of a "I'll believe it when I see it" mentality in regard to the Cardinals’ rebuild. The Red Birds, who haven't experienced many prolonged periods of losing this century, have been hesitant to enter into a full-on rebuild, despite needing to do so in recent seasons. On Tuesday morning, however, baseball fans finally got their proof of a St. Louis reset when Bloom linked up with his former employer for a blockbuster deal.

St. Louis Cardinals' rebuild begins with trading Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox

As initially reported by MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Cardinals have traded veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, kickstarting the fire sale that is reportedly set to continue throughout the winter in St. Louis. ESPN's Jeff Passan included the full trade details moments later, and Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was the first to report that the Cardinals are sending $20 million to Boston.

Given the return that Bloom brought in, a controllable MLB-ready starter in Richard Fitts and the Red Sox No. 5-ranked prospect in Brandon Clarke, the $20 million that St. Louis had to send Boston's way is not too bad, especially considering they are ridding their payroll of the minimum of $40 million that Gray is still owed.

It's a strong return for St. Louis, who starts their rebuild by adding two intriguing pitchers to their organization, but the loss of Gray is still a clear sign that the Cardinals are moving on from their current core of players. Expected to follow is at least a trade of Nolan Arenado, who blocked several deals last offseason with his no-trade clause, and potentially trades of William Contreras and Brendan Donovan as well. For the baseball world, that means more available impact players on the market. For the Brewers, it means more instances of watching their heated division rivals trade away talented players.