Cardinals Trade Gray, Escape High-Priced Vets

0:00On April 20th, the St. Louis Cardinal started their rebuild last off-season by trading pictures sending Gray to the Boston Red Sox. They had signed him to a three-year, $75 million deal after the 2023 season, hoping for an ace. But Gray posted a 4.28 earned run average last year, and now early in the 2026 season, he's struggling again with the red. Sox. He's two in one in four starts, but carries a 4.43 earned run average. The strikeout rate has dropped sharply from 26.7% last year to just 12.5% now. That swing and misstuff just isn't there anymore for the 36-year-old righty. ESPN's David Schoenfield called Gray a top early trade candidate for Boston, saying the Cardinals timed his exit perfectly. Both pitcher Saint Louis got backer on the injured list, so no big wins there yet, but the cards are shedding high-priced vets like Wilson, Contreras, Nolan Aranato, and Brendan Donovan II. Gray has a $30 million mutual option, or $10 million buy-out for 2027, so he could

1:03hit free agency or get dealt if Boston keeps stumbling. At his age, he's not the dominant force from his athletics, reds, or twins days. The Cardinals are all in on youth now, dodging overpaid regrets while Boston weighs its next move with Gray. It looks like Saint Louis dodged a bigger headache just in time. That's your update from MLB News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story.