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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 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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"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 of having to check off multiple items on the shopping list and feel like you’re either running out of time or running out of options. ... But certainly we feel good about where we sit 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, it’s a guy who’s 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 ability to just stay off barrels. He excels there."
In a 13-year career with five teams, Gray is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA.
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 pitched only in Class A and is rated the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system by MLB.com.
Gray, who waived his no-trade clause, had been guaranteed $40 million for 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 clinched their first postseason appearance since 2021. The Cardinals failed to qualify for the playoffs this past season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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