BREAKING: Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray in Trade with St. Louis Cardinals

MLB’s hot stove is cooking! After the first few weeks of the offseason were a little slow, as they usually are, front offices across the league are starting to make bold moves in attempts to improve their respective rosters. 

The most recent bombshell came after ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Boston Red Sox are acquiring Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. Gray has a no-trade clause, but agreed to waive it for this deal. The Cardinals received two pitchers in the deal. Right-handed starter Richard Fitts and southpaw Brandon Clarke

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Sonny Gray Heads to Boston in Blockbuster Offseason Trade 

This past week has featured several trades across MLB that will have major implications in 2026. 

The Mets traded for Marcus Semien earlier this week, and the Orioles linked up with the Angels for Taylor Ward. 

In this major move, it’s the Red Sox who land the three-time All-Star in Gray. Sonny Gray posted a 4.28 ERA over 32 starts in 2025. He has a career 3.58 ERA in 13 MLB seasons. 2026 will mark Gray’s 14th season in baseball, and the Red Sox will serve as his sixth MLB organization that he’s been a member of. 

It is expected that the Cardinals would be aggressive this offseason in the trade market, as there was a transition of front office power with Chaim Bloom taking over for John Mozeliak. How ironic is it that Bloom’s first major move as president of baseball operations has him sending an All-Star caliber starter to the team he used to be the top front office executive of.  

GettySt. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray

Gray’s best season as a starter came in 2023 when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting with the Minnesota Twins. That stellar season landed him a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals, which is set to expire after this season, but there is a 2027 team option that the Red Sox will now have to decide what to do with. The Cardinals are covering $20 million of Gray’s final $35 million on the contract for this season. 

The immediate reaction from this trade is that the Red Sox added a much-needed No.2-3 starter to pair with ace Garrett Crochet. Boston was aggressive last season, and it paid off with a playoff berth for the first time in a few seasons. 

This deal highlights that the Red Sox will be aggressive this offseason. Boston still has big decisions to make regarding third baseman Alex Bregman, and how they will address the issue at first base. However, this is a great first step in what should be a busy winter. 

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The Cardinals’ Side of This Trade

As for the Cardinals’ side of this trade. The major meaning is that the Cardinals are in rebuild mode. They likely won’t compete in the NL Central in 2026, but it also begs the question of when Nolan Arenado will be moved. It’s been reported that Arenado and Chaim Bloom are on the same page in terms of reaching a deal with a potential suitor. 

St. Louis acquires Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke in this deal. Clarke is the fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect, and Fitts is also a young pitcher, but he got his feet wet this season as a starter. Fitts posted a 5.00 ERA in 10 starts with the Red Sox this season. He’s still just 25 years old. 

The fascinating part of this deal is the Red Sox holding onto all of their top prospects, which still gives them one of the best farm systems in baseball. 

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