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Red Sox reportedly acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Cardinals, per @MLBNetwork insider Jon Heyman. pic.twitter.com/dRR2sqTe2O
— MLB (@MLB) November 25, 2025
The Cardinals are sending the Red Sox $20M to cover Sonny Gray’s salary, sources tell ESPN. Gray’s contract will pay him $35M this year, and there is a $30M mutual option — not club, as had been previously reported — with a $5M buyout. Cash covers half of Gray’s guarantee.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 25, 2025
Got a couple of young pitchers.
Seems like these young players usually don’t work out.
Then again, we weren’t going to get much for Gray anyway.
Fingers are crossed.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Boston Red Sox receive: Sonny Gray and cash
St. Louis Cardinals receive: LHP Brandon Clarke and RHP Richard Fitts
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 25, 2025
I guess it’s good that the proverbial cards are out on the table now. This is going to be an austere year or two. There’s no way the Cards will get a pitcher as good as Gray with the funds that they are “saving.” I’d question whether they will invest it back at all, or if it will just go into Dewitt’s pocket. Looking like a 60-70 win season is likely.
As for the return…the MLB starter is probably at least better than Pallante, so that is good. The minor league pitcher is a sore armed guy who walked almost a batter per inning this year at High A in his short starts. I guess it’s a bet on upside, but it will be a while before we find out if it pays off.
The Cardinals are essentially buying two prospects for $20M unless the other “savings” are invested back into the team. I will believe that when I see it.
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The Cardinals are essentially buying two prospects for $20M unless the other “savings” are invested back into the team. I will believe that when I see it.You’re spot on.
I’ll add that we traded for another Tekoah Roby and a McGreevy. Not a bad trade. I don’t know that it will amount to much, but at least it’s something.
Pugs will enjoy this Fitts guys name I bet. 😉
Imo, StL could have found a buyer at 25mil for Gray, but the trade return would be of breaking even value. Poor Bill did show monetary support regarding the trade return, something I’ve been hoping to see.
I really like Gray and wanted him to stay, but the return is good to me. A 50FV guy last year (no 74 overall) in Fitts who has a plus fastball. He didn’t perform amazing this year, but I would expect him to keep improving. Swapping from Fenway to Busch will help him a lot as he struggled with homers there.
Clarke is a current 50 FV guy who is an upside shot which I like. More odds he fails, but I don’t want mediocre players being a mediocre team. I want shots at very valuable players.
The new FO clearly wants to overhaul the whole pitching philosophy. Fitts has good stuff with. 60 FV. Clarke has an incredible 80 slider and a 60 fastball as well.
They got Bostons #5 prospect with years of control for a guy with negative trade value. Plus we should get some innings out of Fitts. And plenty of off color jokes. It’s a good trade.
I am surprised DeWitt ponied up $20 million to make the trade happen. Other than Clarke’s injury history, it seems like a good trade.
I am very surprised to see the Cards sending 20 mill. Maybe their philosophy has changed. I like the trade
Are Arenado and Contreras more likely to be traded also? Because I thought Gray would difficult to deal. But 20 mill will persuade.
Are Arenado and Contreras more likely to be traded also?
The fact that the Cardinals were willing to include $20 million in the Sonny Gray deal does look like they’ll pay down significantly more of Arenado’s contract than they were willing to do so last year.
It may also make Contreras more amenable to a trade.
At least something got done now rather than still talking about it, and waiting for something to happen in the middle of March, 2026.
“Payroll is now down from $117M to $102M for 2026.”
And team revenues were $400M, in 2024. Ownership used to equally prioritize profits and victories, but no more. Pretty much indifferent to the latter, in fact.
I am glad for Sonny, though. With a real MLB pitching coach and manager, he’s now my longshot betting choice for A.L. Cy Young in 2026.
Fitts projects even worse than Pallante in 2026, per Steamer. The southpaw Clarke has upside but is extremely unlikely to get there due to wildness + injuries. So it’s more or less a straight salary dump by my lights. Trading Nolan Arenado would clear opportunities for other talented guys. Trading Gray just throws in the towel on 2026 — after three consecutive seasons without October baseball under the Arch. Disgraceful.
One way to look at the trade is that the Cards got a #5 starter and an upside A ball arm, plus saved some money and gave a guy a shot at October baseball in a year when they weren’t going to compete.
Another way to look at it is that they saved a mere $15M and got a swingman arm and a guy who makes Tink Hence look durable.
At this point I’m closer to the second view, but I’m just a bit surly that the Cards are going to be one of MLB’s worst teams next year and I don’t know if Bloom is the guy to get us out of it.
The issue isn’t really spending. The issue is Walker and Gorman have to hit. If those two were to simply perform at or slightly above their previous best levels of production, everything else would fall into place.
They will surely add more low-cost innings along the way. Replacing the actual production we received from Gray combined with that of Mikolas, Fedde, and Pallante won’t require huge spending.
Pallante could improve or simply regain previous form. Quinn Mathews or Zach Thompson could emerge. Two vets like Malhe and Quintana could cover 150 to 200 innings between them.
Add an arm like Fairbanks and some vets who keep Leahy and Fitts in the pen and winning remains viable.Looks like they save $15 million this year and then $5million next year with the buyout if they decided not to retain Gray ….so they paid Boston $20 million but saved $20 million over the 2 years.
Now the problem is they have no veteran presence in the rotation and the starting 5 is shakier than an old wooden roller coaster
Liberatore
McGreevyPallante
Fitz
Leahy
Roby
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