Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray from Cardinals

The Boston Red Sox acquired veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, bolstering their rotation in the first major trade of the offseason. In exchange, the Cardinals received right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts and left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke, along with $20 million in cash considerations from St. Louis to offset Gray's salary.

Gray, a 36-year-old three-time All-Star with 13 seasons of major league experience, waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal after expressing frustration with the Cardinals' direction. He had one year remaining on a three-year, $75 million contract signed ahead of the 2024 season, originally set at $35 million for 2026 plus a mutual option for 2027. The agreement was restructured into a one-year, $31 million deal with a $10 million buyout on the option, guaranteeing Gray $41 million for the upcoming season. The Red Sox will cover approximately half of that amount after the cash infusion from St. Louis.

In 2025, Gray made 32 starts for the Cardinals, posting a 4.28 ERA over 180 2/3 innings with 201 strikeouts and a league-leading strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.29. His fielding-independent pitching of 3.39...