This past offseason, the Boston Red Sox traded prospects Brandon Clarke, Richard Fitts, and Patrick Galle to the St. Louis Cardinals for Sonny Gray, who has been incredible for the team this season.
In eight starts for Boston, the 36-year-old has recorded a 2.93 ERA, a 3.33 SO/BB ratio, and has allowed just four home runs in 40 innings pitched. And this includes a disastrous start against the Minnesota Twins on Apr. 14, when he allowed nine hits, five earned runs, two home runs, and a walk, and recorded just one strikeout, in four innings.
Gray has been a revelation for a Red Sox team that has mostly struggled all season, and his latest performance (five hits, one earned run, one walk, nine strikeouts in six innings against the Kansas City Royals) is just further proof of that.
Sonny Gray has been great for a struggling Red Sox team
This season has not been a fun one for Boston. The team is currently 20-27 and owns the worst record in the AL East, has dealt with numerous injuries this season (Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony have each been sidelined for multiple weeks), and ranks among the worst-hitting teams in the majors (34 home runs, 163 RBIs, and 170 runs all rank second-worst, .235 BA is tied for 10th-worst).
After making it to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2021, there were some relatively high hopes for the Red Sox this year, but things have not gone according to plan. Alex Cora was fired from his manager position just 27 games into this season (10-17 record), yet Boston is still struggling greatly (ironically, it's 10-17 since) with little signs of life.
Gray probably hasn't been the Red Sox' best player this season (that award likely goes to former Cardinals teammate Willson Contreras, who is batting .253 and leads the team with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs), but he's been exceptional and has constantly proved that Boston had the right idea when it traded for him (even if it's very possible the team misses the playoff entirely).
There is still a ton of baseball left, and it remains to be seen what Gray's future in Boston looks like, as the team may choose to deal him ahead of the trade deadline to recoup some assets and give the Tennessee native an opportunity to compete elsewhere. But for the time being, Gray has been everything the Red Sox needed and more.
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