BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray and cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts, minor league left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Gray, 36, has gone 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA (763 ER/1,918.0 IP) and 1,925 strikeouts in 339 career Major League games (330 starts) with the Athletics (2013-17), New York Yankees (2017-18), Cincinnati Reds (2019-21), Minnesota Twins (2022-23), and Cardinals (2024-25). He has been selected as an All-Star three times (2015, 2019, 2023) and was named to the 2023 All-MLB Second Team.
During 2025, the right-hander went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA (86 ER/180.2 IP), 201 strikeouts, and just 38 walks in 32 starts for St. Louis, leading qualified National League pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.29) while ranking second in walks per 9.0 innings pitched (1.89), tied for fourth in wins, sixth in strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (10.01), and tied for seventh in strikeouts. He went 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA (42 ER/108.0 IP) in 19 starts prior to the All-Star break, including a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and no walks in the Cardinals’ 5-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on June 27.
Gray is one of just five pitchers to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last two seasons, a group that also includes Red Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet. He joins Detroit’s Tarik Skubal as the only pitchers to do so while issuing fewer than 40 walks in each of those seasons.
The Tennessee native was selected by the Athletics in the first round (No. 18 overall) of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft after pitching for three seasons at Vanderbilt University (2009-11).
Fitts, 25, pitched in 11 games (10 starts) for Boston during 2025, recording a 5.00 ERA (25 ER/45.0 IP). The right-hander also posted a 3.60 ERA (12 ER/30.0 IP) in seven minor league starts with Triple-A Worcester (six starts) and Double-A Portland (one start). Originally selected by the New York Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, the Alabama native was acquired by Boston in a four-player trade with the Yankees on December 5, 2023. He owns a 3.97 ERA (29 ER/65.2 IP) with 49 strikeouts in 15 career Major League games (14 starts), all with the Red Sox.
Clarke, 22, is ranked by MLB.com as the Red Sox’ No. 5 prospect. The left-hander made his professional debut in 2025, posting a 4.03 ERA (17 ER/38.0 IP) with 60 strikeouts over 14 starts between Single-A Salem (three starts) and High-A Salem (11 starts). He was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.