The 2026 season has been a surprise for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. Despite entering a rebuild, they are 42-35 and remain at the top of the National League wild card race.The trade deadline is coming soon, which means Chaim Bloom will have some difficult decisions to make. The Cardinals appear likely to sell for the second straight year, but there are still things that need to be figured out as far as their plan goes.Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicts that the Cardinals will make a deal with the Boston Red Sox and bring back their former ace, Sonny Gray.Cardinals Predicted to Re-Acquire Sonny GrayJun 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images"Gray recently told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe that he'd be willing to discuss waiving his no-trade clause again. And to hear it from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the veteran righty might 'love' to get traded back to St. Louis," Rymer wrote."These would have been ridiculous notions a few months ago, but not now. The Cardinals are a genuine surprise even without a stable rotation, and they know Gray could stabilize it. And since the Cardinals are already paying $20 million for Gray, adding his $31 million salary wouldn't be as huge a payroll hit as it seems."Because of Gray's contract, he likely will not cost too much in a trade. Therefore, Gray could make sense for the Cardinals if they truly want to make a push towards the playoffs.Gray would give them an ace and somebody that can be trusted to start Game 1 of a playoff series. But it really depends on what the Cardinals want to do. Bloom has been very clear that he does not want to change directions, which means he will likely stick with the Cardinals' current plan.Unfortunately for the fanbase, that means a trade to bring back Gray is unlikely. In addition, the Cardinals will likely trade players such as Dustin May and JoJo Romero.However, selling doesn't necessarily mean that the Cardinals will be giving up on the season. Perhaps spots will be cleared for younger players, including outfielder Joshua Baez, who has been raking down at Triple-A Memphis.It will be interesting to see what Bloom decides to do, but the chances of a Gray trade, as much as the fanbase would like it, are very slim simply because of where the Cardinals are as an organization.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow