Red Sox Bolster Rotation with Sonny Gray Acquisition
The Boston Red Sox have finalized a strategic move by acquiring veteran right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. This transaction promises to significantly strengthen the team’s starting rotation for the upcoming season. In return, the Cardinals will receive left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke and right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts. In addition, the Red Sox will provide $20 million to cover part of Gray’s salary. Gray, who waived his no-trade clause, had a standout season last year, recording a 14-8 record with a 4.28 ERA. His experience and consistent performance make him a valuable addition to the team. Gray’s contract was modified to guarantee him $41 million: a salary of $31 million for next year and a mutual option of $30 million for 2027 with a $10 million buyout. With the addition of Gray, the Red Sox now have two pitchers who have achieved more than 200 strikeouts in each of the last two seasons. Gray struck out 201 batters last season.Behind Crochet and Gray are right-handers Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford, with several left-handed options for the back end of the rotation: veteran Patrick Sandoval, 24-year-old Kyle Harrison, and a pair of rookies who pitched important innings at the end of this year, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins tore his right ACL in July, but is expected to return for spring training. Veteran right-hander Tanner Houck underwent Tommy John surgery in August and is slated to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season.Red Sox’s chief baseball operations officer, Craig Breslow, had indicated that adding a starting pitcher behind Crochet was one of the team’s goals for the offseason, and the deal for Gray gives Boston significant starting pitching depth heading into 2026.
Craig Breslow
While the Red Sox have expressed interest in Minnesota’s right-hander Joe Ryan, among other starting pitcher trade targets, they opted for the short-term play with Gray, who has pitched in the major leagues for 13 years, making the All-Star team as recently as 2023. He has a career record of 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA in 330 starts.
Clarke, 22 years old and with a height of 1.93 meters, has a fastball that can reach 100 mph, accompanied by an effective slider. In the current season, he pitched 38 innings in Class A, striking out 60 batters but conceding 27 walks, with an ERA of 4.03. Fitts, who will turn 26 next month, had a 2-4 record with a 5.00 ERA in 10 starts for the Red Sox in his rookie season. He struck out 40 batters and allowed 11 home runs in 45 innings.Bloom, president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, who previously held that position with the Red Sox, commented that both players have the potential to be part of the Cardinals’ growing core for a long time.Fitts has already begun his career in the major leagues, and with his power and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years.
Chaim Bloom
