Red Sox Name Sonny Gray as No. 2 Starter

Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray will begin the season as the Red Sox's second starter behind the Opening Day pitcher.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 9:37pm

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The Boston Red Sox have named veteran right-hander Sonny Gray as their No. 2 starting pitcher to begin the 2026 MLB season. Gray, who was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason, will follow the team's Opening Day starter. The 14-year MLB veteran is looking to revitalize his career in Boston after a difficult stint with the New York Yankees from 2017-18.

Why it matters

Gray's addition to the Red Sox rotation provides the team with an experienced and proven starter to complement their Opening Day pitcher. The Red Sox are hoping Gray can regain the All-Star form he displayed with the Cincinnati Reds from 2019-2021, where he posted a 3.49 ERA over 68 starts.

The details

Gray, who waived his no-trade clause to join the Red Sox, said he "never wanted to go" to the Yankees in the first place, as it "just didn't really work" for his pitching style. The Cardinals sent $20 million to Boston to cover a significant portion of Gray's 2026 salary and a buyout option for 2027 as part of the trade. The Red Sox renegotiated Gray's contract after the trade, guaranteeing him $41 million over the next two seasons.

  • Gray will make his first start as the Red Sox's No. 2 pitcher on March 26, the day after the team's Opening Day game in Cincinnati.
  • The Red Sox and Reds have an off-day on March 27 before playing the remaining two games of their series.

The players

Sonny Gray

A 14-year MLB veteran right-hander who was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. Gray is looking to revitalize his career in Boston after a difficult stint with the New York Yankees from 2017-18.

Chaim Bloom

The president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, who previously served as the chief baseball officer for the Red Sox.

Mike Yastrzemski

An outfielder for the Atlanta Braves and the grandson of Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

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What they’re saying

“I never wanted to go there in the first place. It just didn't really work for kind of, who I am. … It feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it's easy to hate the Yankees, right?”

— Sonny Gray (Boston Herald)

“Boston just checked all the boxes for me.”

— Sonny Gray (Boston Herald)

What’s next

The Red Sox and Reds have an off-day on March 27 before playing the remaining two games of their series.

The takeaway

Sonny Gray's addition to the Red Sox rotation provides the team with an experienced and proven starter to complement their Opening Day pitcher, as the team hopes Gray can regain the All-Star form he displayed with the Cincinnati Reds in recent years.