The St. Louis Cardinals made one of the more intriguing moves of the 2025 MLB offseason. They sent veteran right-hander Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in a deal that’s as much about payroll flexibility as it is about reshaping a pitching staff.
In return, St. Louis landed righty Richard Fitts and left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke. Many evaluators believe this package could quietly accelerate the Cardinals’ rebuild.
Cardinals Trade Sonny Gray to Red Sox: The Core of the Deal
The headline’s simple: the Cardinals moved a 36-year-old, high-salary starter and secured two arms who can help both now and in the future. Underneath that, there’s a layered evaluation of value, risk, and timing for a club that’s moving out of its recent contender window.
What St. Louis Received: Fitts and Clarke
St. Louis acquired Richard Fitts, a right-handed pitcher projected to step directly into the major league rotation. They also picked up Brandon Clarke, a left-handed relief prospect with eye-catching upside.
Both players fit neatly into the Cardinals’ current organizational priority: get younger, cheaper, and more athletic on the mound. Fitts looks like a solid, middle-rotation starter rather than a future ace, but honestly, that’s what St. Louis needs right now.
He effectively replaces Gray’s rotation spot while giving the Cardinals more cost control and a shot at better durability. Clarke, meanwhile, is described as a hard-throwing reliever with potential. If he sharpens his command, he could evolve into a high-leverage option.
Why Industry Experts Largely Love the Trade
The reaction from around the league was overwhelmingly favorable for the Cardinals. Most analysts see this as a move that blends financial discipline with real baseball value.
Financial Relief and Pitching Depth
Longtime insider Ken Rosenthal underscored the twin benefits for St. Louis. They shed a significant chunk of Sonny Gray’s remaining contract while still securing both immediate and future pitching help.
The Red Sox, by contrast, took on most of Gray’s large salary commitment, which tilted the value calculus toward the Cardinals. Rosenthal and others pointed out that by moving Gray now, St. Louis:
The Athletic’s Take: Rebuild Logic
Analysts from The Athletic, including Chad Jennings and Zack Meisel, backed the move as a logical step for a club that finally admits it’s in a rebuilding phase. Gray, at 36, just didn’t fit the Cardinals’ long-term timeline.
Jennings and Meisel emphasized that Fitts is not a project. He’s a pitcher who can handle major league innings right away, which matters for a team that still wants to remain watchable and competitive during a retool.
Clarke’s Upside: The Swing Piece in the Deal
While Fitts offers relative certainty, it’s Brandon Clarke who could ultimately determine how this trade is judged in five years. Several prospect watchers within the Cardinals orbit are openly excited about his ceiling.
R.J. Anderson and Prospect Analysts Weigh In
R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports highlighted Clarke as the potential pivot point. He said if Clarke can tighten his command, this trade could “heavily favor St. Louis” over the long term.
That’s not hyperbole; it’s just an acknowledgment that left-handed relievers with big stuff and improved control can be disproportionately valuable in today’s game. Within the Cardinals’ ecosystem, prospect experts Kareem Haq and Kyle Reis echoed that enthusiasm.
Both praised Clarke’s raw tools, especially his velocity and ability to miss bats. His profile fits what modern front offices love in bullpen arms.
Not Everyone is Sold: The Skeptical View
Despite the widespread praise, the trade is not universally adored. Some evaluators see more risk than reward for St. Louis, especially if the return doesn’t fully materialize at the big-league level.
ESPN’s “C” Grade and Salary Dump Concerns
David Schoenfield of ESPN slapped a “C” grade on the Cardinals’ side of the deal. He framed it primarily as a salary dump rather than a strategic reset.
From that perspective, Fitts is serviceable but unspectacular, and Clarke seems too risky to justify losing a pitcher of Gray’s track record. This dissenting view hinges on perception of Gray’s current value versus his age and contract.
If Gray delivers one more above-average season in Boston while Fitts and Clarke underwhelm, that “C” could look generous in hindsight.
Chaim Bloom’s Fingerprints on a New-Look Cardinals
One of the most intriguing subplots is the influence of Chaim Bloom, now at the helm of Cardinals baseball operations. Bloom has long favored moves that lean into value, upside, and payroll efficiency, and this trade fits that template perfectly.
Ownership, Payroll, and the Rebuild Blueprint
Reports say Bloom convinced ownership to let Boston take on most of Gray’s salary. The idea was to maximize the prospect return—a pretty big philosophical shift for a franchise that usually sticks with veterans and values continuity.
By mixing financial caution with on-field planning, the Cardinals have:
Here is the source article for this story: Cardinals are getting high praise for their first offseason blockbuster
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