The St. Louis Cardinals announced today a multi-player trade with the Boston Red Sox, acquiring pitchers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke, along with a player to be named later or cash considerations, in exchange for pitcher Sonny Gray and cash considerations.
“We are pleased to add these two talented young pitchers to our organization,” said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. “Richard Fitts has already begun his big league career and has the ability to start at the highest level for many years. Brandon Clarke is an exciting left-handed prospect whose ceiling rivals any pitcher in the minor leagues. Both have the potential to be part of our growing core for a long time, and we are happy to welcome them to the Cardinals.”
Richard Fitts, 25, is a 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander who has made 15 appearances (14 starts) for the Red Sox over the past two seasons, posting a 2-5 record with a 3.97 ERA in 65.2 innings. Fitts allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his 14 career starts and worked five or more innings in eight outings. A former sixth-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2021 out of Auburn University, Fitts was traded to Boston in December 2023. He has also pitched in 80 minor league games, including 30 with Triple-A Worcester, where he went 11-6 with a 4.13 ERA. Entering 2025, Baseball America ranked him as Boston’s 12th-best prospect, noting he had the “best control” among Red Sox pitchers.
Brandon Clarke, 22, was a fifth-round draft pick by Boston in 2024. He made 14 professional starts in 2025 between High-A Greenville and Salem, striking out 60 batters in 38 innings. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound left-hander pitched collegiately at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, and hails from Ashburn, Virginia. MLB Pipeline ranks him as Boston’s fifth-best prospect.
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