Red Sox swoop in and steal rumored SF Giants starting pitcher target

The SF Giants are looking to improve their starting rotation this offseason, but one candidate they were linked to is off the board as Sonny Gray has been traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Boston Red Sox.

This is not a surprising move since the Cardinals appear to be entering a rebuilding phase and Gray's hefty contract is one they were eager to offload. The Giants were seen as a logical suitor for Gray given their need for starting pitching, but now they will have to look elsewhere.

SF Giants miss out on Sonny Gray after trade to Red Sox

Gray has been a solid starter for quite a while. Last season with St. Louis he had a 14-8 record with a 4.28 ERA in 180 and 2/3 innings pitched with 201 strikeouts compared to 38 walks. He is just a few years removed from being an All-Star with the Minnesota Twins.

The 36-year-old had a full no-trade clause in his contract with the Cardinals so he waived that clause in order to join Boston. The Red Sox gave up two unremarkable pitching prospects in exchange for Gray which suggests that the Cardinals were really desperate to get Gray's hefty contract off the books.

Gray will effectively make $41 million next season which is way more than he is worth. He is a solid pitcher, but that is an exorbitant amount to pay for Gray at this stage in his career. In fact, the Giants may be feeling lucky that they would not have to take on such an onerous contract given it could limit their ability to target other potential upgrades on the roster.

Still, it means one less potential target for the Giants to try to pursue. San Francisco seems likely to explore all avenues to try and improve the rotation next season. They will surely be connected to plenty of high-end pitcher free agents even though chairman Greg Johnson has been open about his wariness in giving pitchers nine-figure deals.

The Giants can also look at other potential trade candidates out there who would give the rotation a boost. President of baseball operations Buster Posey really must be creative as he tries to ensure the Giants enter 2026 with adequate pitching depth.

Gray will not be with the Giants in 2026, but maybe that is a blessing in disguise as they will have more resources to commit elsewhere on the roster now.