The St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation has already absorbed a major blow this offseason after the team traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.
St. Louis did receive two promising arms in return—right-hander Richard Fitts, a 25-year-old with 15 MLB appearances, and Brandon Clarke, previously Boston’s No. 5 prospect who has yet to make his big league debut.
Gray had been the subject of trade talks for some time, but his no-trade clause meant a move was never guaranteed. Discussions surfaced both last offseason and near the trade deadline, yet Gray chose to stay. This winter, however, his stance shifted, and he recently explained what prompted the change. His comments were shared by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.
“What factored into my decision to come to Boston is that it just feels right,” Gray said Tuesday. “It’s easy to hate the Yankees, right? That rivalry fires you up, and I love the challenge.”
Gray also spoke about seeking a more aggressive, win-now environment, according to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam.
“I told them it might be best for me and my family to join an organization that was pushing harder to win a World Series in the next year or two,” he said. “I still have goals I want to accomplish, and making a deep postseason run is one of them.”
He added that he kept an eye on Boston’s situation last season. “I felt like it would be a great fit. I’ve always said I wanted to play in a highly competitive, big-market environment that’s committed to winning. Boston checked all the boxes.”
Gray was a strong contributor during his time in St. Louis, but the Cardinals and Red Sox find themselves in different positions. Boston won 89 games in 2025, compared to St. Louis’ 78, giving Gray a clearer path toward a postseason run.