The Boston Red Sox’s rotation is starting to come together.
Long in search of a No. 2 starter, the Red Sox acquired right-hander Sonny Gray on Tuesday in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Boston sent right-hander Richard Fitts and left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke to St. Louis for the 36-year-old Gray, who went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA over 32 starts last season.
Gray now slots behind ace Garrett Crochet in the Red Sox’s rotation as they attempt to build on last season’s Wild-Card berth.
Tuesday’s deal marks a return to the American League East for Gray, who pitched for the Yankees from 2017-18. Gray famously did not pan out for the Yankees, going 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA over those two seasons.
But he’s largely been a frontline starter since, including in 2023, when he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting with the Minnesota Twins.
Although the 4.28 ERA was Gray’s highest since he left the Yankees, the three-time All-Star exceeded 200 strikeouts for the third time in his career.
Boston was linked to Twins ace Joe Ryan before last summer’s trade deadline, but a deal never came to fruition.
The Red Sox’s lack of dependable starting pitching behind Crochet proved costly in their season-ending loss to the Yankees in the best-of-three Wild Card round of the postseason.
“I don’t think we’re going to spend a ton of time trying to add a No. 4 or a No. 5 starter,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said this month. “If we’re going to make a starting pitching addition, I think it should be somebody who can pitch at the front of a rotation and start a playoff game for us.”
Fitts, 25, pitched to a 5.00 ERA over 11 appearances (10 starts) in the majors last season. He was originally drafted by the Yankees, who sent him to Boston in their 2023 trade for outfielder Alex Verdugo.
Clarke, 22, was the Red Sox’s No. 5 pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, but has not pitched beyond High-A.
The Red Sox will also send a player to be named later or cash consideration to St. Louis, while the Cardinals sent back some money to help cover Gray’s contract. Gray is due a base salary of $31 million in 2026 and has a mutual option for 2027.
Tuesday’s trade marked the first domino to fall in what’s expected to be a busy offseason for Boston.
Third baseman Alex Bregman opted out of his contract, but a reunion would make sense for both sides. The Red Sox have also been linked to longtime Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who is also a free agent.
