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The Boston Red Sox bolstered their pitching rotation on Tuesday. When the 2026 MLB season opens, Sonny Gray will be wearing a Red Sox uniform instead of a St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals agreed to trade the 36-year-old right-hander in exchange for pitcher Richard Fitts and 22-year-old left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke. St. Louis will also receive $20 million of Gray’s salary next season, according to multiple reports.
The Red Sox struggled with pitching depth behind ace Garrett Crochet last season. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said Gray helps fill a need the team made clear it wanted to address this offseason.
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Sonny Gray (54) from St. Louis Cardinals pitcher during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
“We’ve been pretty transparent about our desire to add to the rotation, and our desire to add a bat,” Breslow said in a conference call with reporters. “I don’t think anybody wants to feel like they’re in a position where they have to check off more items on the shopping list and feel like you’re either running out of time or you’re running out of options… But we’re certainly comfortable with where we’re at today.”
Gray joined the Cardinals in 2024. He went 14-8 and posted a 4.28 ERA last season.
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“When you think about what Sonny has been in this league, he’s a top-of-the-rotation guy,” Breslow added. “The things that we think pitchers carry from year to year are things like strikeout rates and walk rates and the ability to just stay off barrels. He excels there.”
In a 13-year, five-team career, Gray is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Sonny Gray pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Asked if Gray was the No. 2 starter the Red Sox were seeking, Breslow said, “I don’t know how much sense it makes in November to put a number on a guy.”
Fitts went 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA as a rookie in Boston last season. Meanwhile, Clarke has only pitched in Class A and is rated the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system by MLB.com.
Sonny Gray (54) from St. Louis Cardinals take on the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium on September 7, 2025 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Jeff Le/Getty Images)
Gray, who waived his no-trade clause, had been guaranteed $40 million for the next two seasons. His contract was amended to guarantee him a $31 million salary for next year and a $30 million mutual option for 2027 with a $10 million buyout.
The Red Sox finished the 2025 season in third place in the American League East. The team finished the year with an 89–73 record and earned their first postseason appearance since 2021. The Cardinals failed to qualify for the playoffs this past season.
