After pair of offseason trades, Red Sox, Cards to square off in St. Louis

For the first time since coming together on a pair of headlining offseason trades, the Red Sox and Cardinals are set to begin a three-game series at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday at Busch Stadium.

The Red Sox began 2026 just 2-8, but they took two of three from the Brewers this week to improve to 4-8. Even still, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras -- the centerpieces of the trades with the Cardinals -- have largely performed as expected.

The 36-year-old Gray, acquired on Nov. 25 with cash for a three-player package, delivered a gem in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Milwaukee. He spun 6 1/3 scoreless innings and lowered his season ERA to 2.76 across three starts. Gray is not slated to pitch against his former team this weekend.

Meanwhile, Contreras has been one of Boston’s most consistent regulars during a sluggish offensive start. The lone player coming back to Boston for three pitchers on Dec. 22, Contreras has whacked two home runs and walked 11 times in the early going, posting a .434 on-base percentage and .425 slugging percentage. The first baseman may have lit a bit of a fire under the squad this week, too, after being hit by a Brewers pitch for the 24th time on Monday.

In the opposite dugout, the Cardinals have surprised many in the first few weeks of the season, even without their two former stars in the fold. St. Louis is 7-5 and has enjoyed an early breakout from young players, including outfielder Jordan Walker (five home runs) and top prospect/second baseman JJ Wetherholt.

The Cardinals will have right-hander Dustin May on the mound Friday against talented young lefty Connelly Early. May spent the second half of 2025 in Boston after a trade from the Dodgers. He has struggled out of the gates, allowing six and seven runs, respectively, in his first two starts.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, while Game 3 is set for 2:15 p.m. ET on Sunday.