ST. LOUIS — In what could be the first of many offseason trades that signal the Cardinals’ plans for their first full-on rebuilding project in decades, the club acquired left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke, right-hander Richard Fitts and a player to be named or cash considerations in exchange for veteran pitcher Sonny Gray and cash on Tuesday.
Clarke, whose first full professional season was limited to 38 innings due to blister problems, was the No. 5-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system, and he landed at No. 7 in the Cards’ system, per MLB Pipeline. Fitts, a sixth-round Draft pick by the Yankees in 2021, went 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA over 11 appearances (10 starts) for Boston in 2025.
TRADE DETAILS
Cardinals receive: LHP Brandon Clarke, RHP Richard Fitts, PTBNL or cash
Red Sox receive: RHP Sonny Gray, cash considerations
The trade points toward the kind of full rebuild new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom hinted at after taking over for the departed John Mozeliak following the 2025 season. The Cardinals, who have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons after they were eliminated in the NL Wild Card Series in ’22, are also hoping to trade veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Willson Contreras this offseason. Both have no-trade clauses they can use to block deals, but Arenado has said he would be more open to playing elsewhere if it meant being a part of a World Series contender. Contreras has said he would prefer to remain in St. Louis, but that could change depending on trade suitors.
“We have somewhere we need to go and we’re not there now, and the way to get there is building on our core talent and [acquiring] promising, young talent that can be with us for many years and have their best ahead of them,” Bloom said on Tuesday. “We’ve talked about that sometimes the long-term might conflict with the short-term – Sonny’s a really talented pitcher and there’s no doubt about that. But when [long-term and short-term goals] run in opposite directions, we’re going to choose the long-term because that’s where this organization needs to be. We’re trying to get back to a certain place and stay there.”
In other clear indications that it is more interested in building for the future, St. Louis has also listened to trade offers on Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman. Bloom, who worked as an advisor for two years before taking over as the leader in the front office, has worked to overhaul the Cardinals’ player development by adding more talent evaluators, scouts and player-development experts. He has said that he is hopeful of rebuilding the tradition-rich franchise by exchanging high-priced veteran talent for young, promising prospects that better align with the franchise’s next window to win.
Rebuilding can often be trying for clubs and fanbases, and there are no guarantees throughout the process, but Bloom is confident that this is the path the Cards must take.
“Nobody who gets into this game has any guarantees, but I feel the more fully we commit to what we need to do, the better it will go and the quicker we will get there,” Bloom said. “I don’t view this as something that’s just about patience. I view it as something we have to attack with urgency, and we have to do that every day.”
Clarke, 22, has the potential to be a front-line starter, but he still lacks the polish of a proven pro. His fastball typically sits at 95-98 mph and occasionally reaches 100. Scouts have seen him unveil a devastating slider that ranges between 88-91 mph and features a huge sweep with depth that gives hitters fits.
Fitts, 25, will likely move into a Cardinals starting rotation that will include Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy in 2026. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Fitts reached the big leagues in 2024, posting a stellar 1.74 ERA over four starts. In ’25, his average fastball velocity of 95.7 mph would have ranked in MLB’s 72nd percentile had he pitched enough innings to qualify.
Bloom said that both Clarke (finger blisters) and Fitts (nerve pain) are beyond their injuries and should be ready for Spring Training.
Said Bloom of Clarke: “In terms of pure talent, what’s coming out of his hand and the [arm] extension he gets, it’s right up there with anybody in the Minor Leagues. You really could put him on that short list of highest talent/most upside in the Minor Leagues.”
