Red Sox add needed second starter in trade with Cardinals

President of baseball operations Craig Breslow had been clear that the Boston Red Sox wanted to add a second top-of-the-rotation starter behind Garrett Crochet. Breslow got his man on Tuesday. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Red Sox acquired pitcher Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. In exchange, the Cardinals will receive pitchers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke. Passan further reported that the Cardinals are sending $20 million to the Red Sox to cover part of Gray’s salary. Gray waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal. Gray had a down year in 2025. The 36-year-old posted a 4.28 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP over his 180.2 innings, striking out 201 batters with 38 walks. There is reason to hope for a rebound campaign in 2026 as Gray allowed a .332 batting average on balls in play (league average is .296) and posted a 3.39 FIP (ERA based on outcomes a pitcher can control with a league average defense). Fitts battled injuries throughout 2025 as he shuttled between the Red Sox and the minors. He sRead More