Brandon

Clarke

A 2024 fifth-round pick, Clarke had a great start to his pro career last season before dealing with hand issues. Even so, his 14 starts saw him struck out 60 in 38 innings. He has a long way to go in the control department — though the hand factored into his problems there last season — but he has big-time upside as a starter and he’d still project as an excellent reliever if he doesn’t develop as hoped. He’ll probably need to spend all of 2026 in the minors.

Clarke is the Red Sox’s fifth-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, so this is a great get for the Cardinals. The 22-year-old posted a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 60/27 K/BB ratio in 38 innings in 2025 in his first professional season, spent mostly at High-A. Clarke possesses an upper-90s fastball from the left side with a wipeout slider. He also has a curve and changeup that he can mix in to right-handed pitchers, and has all the makings of a high-end prospect. However, the Red Sox also have Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Kyle Harrison, and Kyson Witherspoon, among others, and a team can only have so many pitching prospects with a realistic shot to crack the starting rotation.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Cardinals will receive prospect left-hander Brandon Clarke and right-hander Richard Fitts. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom made no secret that the club was shopping Gray, but the veteran right-hander had to waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a trade. Evidently, he had no issues going to Boston. Gray turned 36 earlier this month and is coming off a 4.28 ERA with 201 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings in 2025. Gray was previously owed $35 million in 2026, with a $5 million buyout of his $30 million club option for 2027. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the deal is being reworked, so Gray will get a $31 million salary in 2026, with mutual option buyout of $10 million. Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Cardinals are picking up $20 million of the $41 million guarantee.

Arias is the fourth-ranked prospect in a loaded Red Sox system — Rotoworld’s 70th-ranked dynasty prospect on Opening Day — and will likely wind up on many traditional Top 100 prospect lists by the All-Star break this season. The 19-year-old hit .346/.407/.397 with nine RBI, 15 runs, and four steals at Low-A Salem this season. He will be joined in High-A by Clarke, who was the Red Sox’s fifth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Despite not ranking high on many prospect lists, Clarke has been dominant to start the season at Low-A Salem with a microscopic 0.93 ERA in three starts where he’s allowed just two hits with a 17/2 K/BB ratio. The 22-year-old lefty is rapidly emerging as one of the top pitching prospects in the Red Sox system.