While Gray is set to earn essentially $41 million next year, the Red Sox will only be paying $21 million of that, with the Cards paying the rest, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

Even so, Red Sox fans are confused about whether or not Gray was just acquired to be Boston’s No. 2 starter, or whether another big acquisition is on the way (perhaps in the form of Freddy Peralta or Joe Ryan).

Gray’s All-Star appearances and career accomplishments make him look like a viable No. 2 starter on paper, but he’s 36 years old. Red Sox fans have been hoping that Boston’s next No. 2 behind Garrett Crochet would be a pitcher in their prime (a la Peralta or Ryan), not a guy like Gray who, while still valuable, might not be at the peak of his powers.

But is that selling Gray short? He did finish second in AL Cy Young voting as recently as 2023 (as a member of the Minnesota Twins), and he was very solid in 2025 for St. Louis: 14-8 record with an ERA of 4.28 and 201 strikeouts in 32 appearances.

Fans are waiting to see what this all means. If Gray was just acquired as a precursor to more moves (including another high-profile starter), it’s a win.

The most realistic interpretation is probably that the Red Sox just acquired Gray as insurance against an ultimately unpredictable outcome in their hunt for a No. 2.

Boston will surely be pursuing a big arm, but if deals fall through, they’ve already secured a proven starter in Gray, who is at worst a plus-starter at the back of the rotation, and at best, yes, a No. 2 behind Crochet.

This appears to have been a wise trade by Boston, and as the offseason progresses and the confusion dissipates, that should become more clear.