Sonny Gray's Reaction To Red Sox Blockbuster Revealed By Craig Breslow

The vibes are high around the Boston Red Sox right now.

Boston won 89 games last season and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. On top of that, the Red Sox have already made one big trade this offseason to fill a hole on the roster. Boston acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals along with $20 million in exchange for Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts.

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The deal itself is a major indication of how the organization is being viewed right now. Gray had a full no-trade clause in his deal and waived it to join Boston. It's not even just that Gray had a no-trade clause; it's that this is a guy who last offseason and ahead of the trade deadline specifically made it clear that he wanted to stay in St. Louis at the time. But Boston was a team he was willing to waive it for because it can contend.

Sonny Gray Blockbuster Looks Even Better Now For Red Sox

To make matters better, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow shed some light on a conversation he had with Gray after the deal and noted the All-Star is "excited" to come to town, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.

"The no-trade (clause) is a great barometer for how interested a player is in coming to a specific destination,” Breslow said, as transcribed by Smith. “And so by the nature of Sonny’s willingness to waive it to come here, I think that says a lot about his interest...

“I had a chance to talk to him, and he’s excited,” Breslow continued. “I think he saw from afar what we’re building here. He had a ton of admiration that he expressed for Garrett (Crochet) and how much he believes Garrett can push him and how that (they) can push each other. And he was very clear about his desire to win and his excitement about this opportunity. So he’s very excited to come to Boston, and we’re excited to have him.”

Boston surely is becoming a destination that big-name players want to come to again. The 2025 season was just the beginning as well. Most of the core is under long-term control. If the Red Sox play their cards right, this could be the very beginning of a hopefully long playoff window.

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