Sonny

Gray

Boston gets the postseason-caliber starter it needed without having to make a long-term commitment. The Cardinals will chip in $20 million of the $40 million (now $41 million after a trade kicker) Gray was owed in the final year of his backloaded three-year, $75 million contract. $10 million of that $40 million comes in the form of a buyout of a $30 million mutual option for 2028. Gray had a 4.28 ERA last season, but it came with a 201/38 K/BB in 180 2/3 innings. After dealing with some mid-career durability issues, he’s made 92 starts the last three seasons, striking out 587 hitters over 531 innings. He’ll join Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello in Boston’s rotation, with Paxton Crawford currently favored for the fourth spot and then Patrick Sandoval, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Kyle Harrison potentially battling it out for the fifth.

Fitts was a huge riser in the Red Sox system in 2025 after coming over from the Yankees a few years ago for Alex Verdugo. Fitts added velocity to his fastball and deepened his pitch mix, which put him on the big league radar; however, he battled injuries and posted just a 5.00 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 40/16 K/BB ratio in 45 innings for the Red Sox in 2025. Even in his strong minor league season in 2024, he posted a 4.17 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 111/37 K/BB ratio in 116 2/3 innings at Triple-A. He could be a potential back-of-the-rotation starter, but he has yet to show the strikeout upside and solid WHIP to be more than that.

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.

“We’ve definitely been listening on him,” Bloom said. “It’s not a surprise. I mean, he’s still one of the better pitchers in the league. We value him very highly. Just with where we are and thinking long term, we’ve talked to him, and I think we all feel like there might be something that makes sense, but we’ll continue to explore that.” Gray has a full no-trade clause, but he’s thought to be open to waiving it if the right destination comes about. One problem is that his three-year, $75 million contract was heavily backloaded, and he’s owed $35 million next season and perhaps a $5 million buyout of his 2027 option (it’s $30 million, and he can opt out of it if a team exercises it). The Cardinals will probably need to eat some of that in order to get a substantial return.

Gray pitched his final game of the season on Wednesday night, with the Cardinals being eliminated from playoff contention. While the 35-year-old didn’t have his best year, he remains a steady middle-of-the-rotation arm and would certainly command interest on the trade market if the Cardinals do decide to move him. “Whether I do decide that I want to go somewhere – whether that actually happens – I don’t have complete control of that,” said Gray. “Obviously, I have control of where I can’t go or don’t go. I’m going to be 36. It’s going to be my 14th season. Last year of my contract for this. I don’t know what the future holds for me.” Given that the Cardinals seem to be rebuilding and Gray will be in the final year of his contract, it would seem likely that they would entertain moving him this winter

Gray allowed seven hits and two walks. The 35-year-old’s final start of the season was a solid one, but it was a mixed year — to put it mildly — for the veteran right-hander. He finishes the 2025 campaign with a 4.28 ERA, 201/38 K/BB and 180 2/3 innings pitched. He misses enough bats to be draftable, but there’s some bitter you have to take with the better, and it’s worth noting he turns 36 in November.

The 35-year-old right-hander scattered nine hits on the evening and didn’t walk a batter. The only damage done against him came on a leadoff blast by Sal Frelick to open the third inning, aside from that Gray was in complete command. He got six whiffs on 91 pitches on the night — four on his sweeper — while registering a CSW of 30 percent. He’ll carry a 4.33 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 194/36 K/BB ratio over 174 2/3 innings into his final start of the season on Wednesday against the Giants in San Francisco.

The 35-year-old hurler scattered four hits on the night while walking just one batter. He allowed a run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sal Frelick in the third inning, then left exited after allowing a leadoff walk in the sixth and that runner came around to score as well. Gray got 14 swings and misses on 95 pitches in the ballgame — seven of them on his sweeper — while posting a strong CSW of 33 percent. He exited with a 6-2 lead and in line for a victory but the Cardinals’ bullpen couldn’t hang on for him. He’ll bring a 4.43 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 187/36 K/BB ratio (168 2/3 innings) into a rematch against the Brewers at home on Friday night.

All seven runs in this game came in a one-inning span. The Cardinals got their four after Kai-Wei Teng walked three in a row to start the bottom of the fifth. The Giants got their three after Gray walked two in a row to open the sixth. Gray rebounded to retire Heliot Ramos, but he then gave up an RBI single to Rafael Devers that broke up the no-hitter. After another walk and a single, he was pulled with two outs and a 4-2 lead. One of his two remaining three runners scored afterwards. Gray moved to 13-8, but the late collapse caused his ERA to slightly increase to 4.45. He’ll likely face the Brewers on Saturday.