Red Sox leverage deep pitching pipeline to acquire Sonny Gray; Breslow turning attention to power hitters

The Red Sox kicked off their offseason by acquiring veteran right-handed starter Sonny Gray from the Cardinals for two pitchers, righty Richard Fitts and left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke on Tuesday.

For the Red Sox, they land a short-term option for their rotation to slot behind Garrett Crochet next season. Under no circumstances should Gray be the “front of the rotation” starter that Craig Breslow was aiming to acquire this winter. The 36-year-old is known for his ability to consume innings, having pitched 180 2/3 frames in the previous season. He also struck out 201 batters and was one of only four pitchers to strike out 200-plus batters in each of the last two seasons. The others were Crochet, the American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, free agent Dylan Cease, and Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

"Sonny is a guy who has been a guy who has pitched at the top of rotations... we're really excited about adding a guy coming off back-to-back 200-K seasons and shouldering significant workload," Breslow said to the media Tuesday.

He wouldn’t commit to whether Gray would be the No. 2 starter, nor should he, when other key pieces are available to build out a playoff-caliber rotation.

Gray fills a void in the rotation left behind from Lucas Giolito, who is a free agent this offseason. With the Cardinals picking up half of his salary ($20 million went to Boston in the swap), it’s a no-brainer for Breslow and company to add Gray for just prospects. It should continue to be stressed that Gray cannot and should not be the only major pitching addition the Red Sox make.

Admittedly, I haven’t given Breslow his flowers since taking over as chief baseball officer two years ago. He’s made sound moves in the offseason, especially last year, trading for Crochet, who went on to anchor the rotation, made the All-Star team, and was the runner-up in the Cy Young voting. He signed both Alex Bregman and Aroldis Chapman, who both were All-Stars at their positions. With the addition of Gray on Tuesday, it's evident that he is willing to take risks with aging players while utilizing his prospect capital to enhance his roster.

Chapman was incredibly dominant in the late innings for Alex Cora. The southpaw won the American League Reliever of the Year Award, leading all qualified relievers with a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 61 1/3 innings.

Opposing batters were stifled at the dish, where they hit just .132 against Chapman, the lowest BA against any qualified reliever. At one point, he retired 50 consecutive batters, a dominant stretch that spanned over two months of the year. In his 16th MLB season, the flame-throwing Chapman still threw plenty hard: his 99.8 mph average fastball velocity ranked in the 98th percentile of MLB.

Rumors have been swirling like hurricane-force winds that Boston would need to trade Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu to adequately improve their rotation for next season. Maybe they still do and theoretically could to land the likes of Peralta or even Joe Ryan. You can never have enough pitching in baseball, and he should keep his finger on the pulse of that market.

Breslow looks to turn his attention back to the sluggers' free agent pool while possessing two prime trade chips to transform the Red Sox from an American League Wild Card winner to a team that should make a deeper postseason run.

The Sox have been linked to Bregman the second he opted out of his deal after the World Series. Multiple reports have the Red Sox as serious suitors for Pete Alonso.

The “Polar Bear” is coming off a monster year where he hit .272 with a .871 OPS, an NL-leading 41 doubles, 38 home runs, and 126 RBI. Alonso has hit at least 30 homers in every season he’s been in the majors, outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

The addition of Alonso would give the Red Sox a much-needed right-handed power bat for the middle of their lineup and a legitimate first baseman. The Sox still have Triston Casas, but he isn’t expected to be ready for Opening Day, and based off his slow start to the 2025 season, the Red Sox might be prepared for a fresh start at the position.

Kyle Schwarber has also been connected to the Red Sox, and power potential is precisely what the Sox need, who finished 15th in home runs (186) in 2025. They hit just 49 home runs during August and September, the third fewest behind only the Cardinals (43) and Pirates (45).

“I don’t want to get so anchored to this idea that the only way to score runs is home runs,” Breslow said at the General Manager meetings in Las Vegas this month. “We showed that that isn’t the case. That said, a disproportionate number of runs are scored in the postseason via the home run. And that’s not something that we can ignore. And there is just something about a bat in the middle of the lineup that forces another team to game plan against it that I think has a compounding effect on the rest of the roster.

The idea that the Red Sox could be serious suitors for Schwarber began to surface last month when MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported that Boston “loves” Schwarber and is expected to express “real interest” in the power hitter if he does not return back to Philadelphia.

Schwarber called Fenway Park home after the Sox traded for the slugger during the summer of 2021. Bloom elected not to bring the left-handed hitter back mainly due to having J.D. Martinez still under contract and the only spot to play him was at DH, and Schwarber ultimately signed a four-year, $79 million bargain with the Phillies.

Over the last four seasons in Philly, Schwarber has clubbed 187 home runs and driven in 434 RBI. He’s a monster bat that the Sox need after trading the disgruntled Rafael Devers on Father’s Day.

“We didn’t slug nearly as much as I think we can or we will and will pursue opportunities to improve that,” Breslow added. “Free agency is one of them; trades are another. We lost Roman, and we lost Wily for significant stretches. And those are two guys who can hit the ball out of the park consistently.”

Alonso would play first base while also spending time at DH, whereas Schwarber only profiles as a DH but has played first base in the past.

The Red Sox are reportedly showing interest in Phillies’ free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.

“The usual caveats apply. It is early in free agency,” wrote McCaffrey. “Teams are touching base with a large number of players. The best guess with Realmuto is that he will still re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, his team since 2019.”

Catcher is not a glaring need for the Sox, but Realmuto would be another right-handed bat for the lineup. He’s a three-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and two-time Gold Glove winner. He will turn 35 next March and would be a platoon option with Carlos Narváez. The Sox could then dangle Connor Wong in trade talks or move the versatile catcher elsewhere on the roster.

Breslow acquiring Gray stops the Orioles from improving their rotation and pursuing a trade for the veteran. The Orioles are in desperate need of a rotation overhaul after a disappointing season. While Gray is no longer an ace, he would have been a viable building block for Baltimore’s rotation next season. I’ll spare everyone from saying Breslow is playing checkers. He made a strategic move to improve his rotation while blocking teams from within his division of landing a workhorse.

The key piece of the deal was Clarke, the No. 8 prospect within the Sox’ farm system, according to SoxProspects. The 22-year-old Clarke posted a 4.03 ERA in 14 starts for Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2025. Boston drafted him in the fifth round (148th overall) in 2024 out of State College of Florida. This past July, Baseball America wrote that Clarke had “more helium” than any prospect to start 2025, and for good reason.

Clarke went from an unranked prospect to a top 100 prospect, according to Baseball America. Walks have been a bit of an issue, but he possesses a powerful arm that could transform him into a dominant reliever for the Cardinals if they can tweak his mechanics.

While he was high-touted as the year went on, the helium slowly leaked from his balloon. Clarke dealt with a blister issue that limited him to just 38 innings total and recorded a 7.71 ERA in his final seven starts compared to a 1.88 ERA in his first seven starts.

MLB Pipeline recently wrote that Clarke has the potential to be a breakout candidate for 2026.

“Scouts have been dreaming on Clarke’s potential since he was touching 97 mph in high school, and he’s added another three ticks since. The 22-year-old unleashes it from a three-quarters release point, and his long arm action, high leg kick, and elite extension add a bit of deception. The pitch doesn’t get as many whiffs as you might expect, given the velocity, but the downhill plane on the pitch has enabled him to rack up massive ground ball numbers.”

He has a six-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, sweeper (slider), curveball, cutter, and changeup.

Fitts was expendable with the emergence of left-handed pitching prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Boston also added Tyler Uberstine and David Sandlin to its 40-man roster, giving the Red Sox additional depth for its rotation.

When healthy, Fitts profiles a back-end starter with good enough stuff for his pitch mix if he’s moved to the bullpen long term. He should get the opportunity to start for the Cardinals next season, health permitting. He landed on the injured list twice last season for inflammation in his brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves in the shoulder and arm.

Following Tuesday’s trade, the Cardinals front office leader Chaim Bloom opened up about the acquisition of Clarke and Fitts.

“Richard Fitts has already begun his big league career, and with his power stuff and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years,” Bloom said in a statement released by the Cardinals.

“Brandon Clarke is an exciting left-handed prospect whose ceiling rivals that of any pitcher in the minor leagues. Both have the potential to be part of our growing core for a long time, and we are happy to welcome them to the Cardinals.”

Three years ago, trading pitching prospects for anyone in the league seemed unfathomable for the Red Sox. Boston has depth at each level of its system to make the Gray trade and for another rotation piece. More importantly, Boston acquired Gray and will pay him just $21 million for a backend of the rotation-type starter and a lottery ticket in Clarke. This trade is a win for both teams unless this is the only pitching addition by Breslow.