The St. Louis Cardinals traded veteran starter to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, marking the first major move under new Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and addressing a rotation need for Boston.
The Red Sox — whose baseball operations were led by Bloom from 2020 to 2023 — had prioritized strengthening their staff behind ace Garrett Crochet this offseason. Acquiring Gray accomplishes that while also bringing valuable playoff experience to the team.
In return, St. Louis received pitchers Brandon Clarke, one of Boston’s top prospects, and Richard Fitts. The Cardinals are also covering $20 million of Gray’s remaining salary, according to a source cited by The Athletic.
Gray, 36, recently finished the second year of a back-loaded three-year, $75 million contract he originally signed with St. Louis before the 2024 season. Per The Athletic, his deal is being revised so that he’ll earn $31 million next season with a $10 million mutual option buyout for 2026, effectively giving him $41 million for that year.
In short: A source confirmed that Gray is headed to Boston in a deal that restructures his contract into a one-year arrangement with a mutual option, totaling $41 million for 2026.
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