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The Boston Red Sox bolstered their pitching rotation on Tuesday. When the 2026 MLB season begins, Sonny Gray will wear a Red Sox uniform instead of a St. Louis Cardinals one.
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 take on $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) of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches 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 anyone wants to feel in the position of having to check off multiple items on the shopping list and feel like they’re running out of time or options… But we certainly feel good about where we are today.”
Gray joined the Cardinals in 2024. He went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA last season.
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“When you think about what Sonny has been in this league, he’s a guy who has pitched at the front of rotations,” Breslow added. “Those things that we think pitchers carry from year to year are things like strikeout rates and walk rates and the ability to stay away from the barrels. He excels at that.”
In a 13-year career with five teams, Gray is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA.
Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals 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 second starter the Red Sox were looking for, Breslow said, “I don’t know what the point is in November of putting a number on a guy.”
Fitts was 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA as a rookie in Boston last season. Meanwhile, Clarke has pitched only in Class A and is rated by MLB.com as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system.
Sonny Gray (54) of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against 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 over the next two seasons. His contract was changed 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 its first postseason appearance since 2021. The Cardinals failed to qualify for the playoffs last season.
