Craig Breslow Addresses Red Sox Fans' Biggest Sonny Gray Trade Fears

Boston Red Sox fans can find excuses to be upset about just about any move the team makes, and the Sonny Gray trade is a layup for those folks.

Gray is headed into his age-36 season, and judging by his 4.28 ERA last season, he looks like a mid-rotation starter with below-average velocity. But he's also one of just five pitchers to strike out 200 or more batters in both of the last two seasons, and he led the National League in strikeout-to-walk ratio this year, just ahead of Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

However, Gray's $21 million commitment from the Red Sox might also remind some fans of the Walker Buehler signing from last year, considering it was for the exact same dollar amount. Both pitchers were over 30, and hadn't necessarily put up their best numbers the year before.

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Why Gray, Buehler are nothing alike

Jul 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler (0) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Those who watched Gray closely this year, however, even if only through a statistical lens, know he and Buehler have been nothing alike for the last handful of seasons.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed that exact point earlier this week when he spoke to the media about trading for Gray, admitting the uncertainties surrounding Buehler at this time a year ago.

“Obviously we had Walker here last year. I don't think anyone would say that it worked out as well as we had hoped,” said Breslow, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “But Sonny, he's got a pretty significant track record of not only performance and consistency, but of shouldering a pretty significant workload.

"I think two out of the last three years he's thrown 180-plus innings with what I would call impeccable command. I think they're fairly different, and we obviously made decisions in each of those cases to go forward with the players. And hopefully the Sonny acquisition works out.”

Elevated ERAs during the regular season obviously aren't ideal, but innings pitched have become more important year after year. Gray had a few blowup starts this year, but he also delivered 14 quality starts, which only 27 major league pitchers topped.

If nothing else, the Red Sox should be getting a workhorse in the Gray deal, and a strike-thrower at that (which everyone who saw Buehler this year knew he was not). That should help Boston win more games than they lose when he takes the mound.

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