Cardinals’ Pitching Pipeline Bolstered in Trade with Boston

The St. Louis Cardinals’ acquisition of pitchers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke from the Boston Red Sox in the Sonny Gray trade is a move that further highlights the organization’s shift toward building long-term pitching strength. Led by new President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom, who has intimate knowledge of the Red Sox farm system, the Cardinals targeted two arms with distinct profiles.

Cardinals Add Righty that Should Contribute Soon

Fitts is a 26-year-old right-hander who offers the Cardinals a relatively high-floor asset with the potential to contribute at the Major League level sooner rather than later.

Fitts, originally a 6th-round pick by the Yankees in 2021, possesses a sturdy, durable frame and a solid, repeatable delivery. His primary weapons are a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and tops out near 98 mph. Additionally, it features natural cut and ride. He pairs this with a sharp slider in the mid-80s that profiles as a potential plus pitch.

The righty has already received a taste of the Majors, logging 65.2 innings with the Red Sox in 2025. While his MLB numbers (3.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) suggest a back-end starter profile, his minor league track record, including being named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2023, shows a pitcher who throws strikes and gets deep into games.

He immediately enters the Cardinals’ depth chart as a viable candidate for the back-end of the 2026 rotation or a multi-inning relief role. This provides the organization stability as St. Louis looks to transition its pitching staff.

Lefty Lottery Ticket

The centerpiece of the return for the Cardinals’ long-term outlook is Brandon Clarke. He is a high-upside left-handed prospect who was ranked as one of the Red Sox’s top pitching prospects before the trade.

Clarke, 22, has an exciting profile built on elite arm speed and velocity. He throws harder than most left-handed starters. His fastball sits between 95-98 mph and touches 100. His best secondary offering is a devastating slider that flashes elite, potential with huge sweep and depth. Due to his history of arm issues and a relatively late commitment to pitching, he is still raw, especially with his control (4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP in 38 A-ball innings in 2025).

Clarke is viewed as a high-risk, high-reward prospect. If the Cardinals’ development staff can help him refine his control and smooth out his delivery, his ceiling is immense. Possibly a front-of-the-rotation starter or a high-leverage reliever with a 70-grade slider. If the command issues persist, he could quickly transition to a late-inning bullpen role, still providing tremendous value.

His arrival strengthens the Cardinals’ organizational depth with a true left-handed power arm. He is likely to start the 2026 season in High-A or Double-A, with a projected arrival date in St. Louis in mid-2027.

Cardinals’ New Leader’s Time is Now

For St. Louis, the trade is about more than just shedding salary, it’s about acquiring assets. Bloom is leveraging his past knowledge of the Red Sox’s system to bring in pitchers with the power stuff and metrics that his development philosophy favors.

While the $20 million sent to Boston by the Cardinals to cover a portion of Gray’s salary may feel like a large price it signals a pragmatic, long-term approach to rebuilding the Cardinals’ pipeline.