An AL Wild Card berth and subsequent series loss to the New York Yankees led to a busy offseason for the Boston Red Sox. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow made a flurry of acquisitions, fronted by a massive free agent deal for starter Ranger Suarez. A trio of trades led to first baseman Willson Contreras, plus starters Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, joining the Sox as well. Yet, it seems as if Gray has had a tough time adjusting to his new team. In today's start versus the Atlanta Braves, Gray walked five batters. According to team beat reporter Ian Browne via X, formerly Twitter, it was just the seventh time in his career that Gray reached that mark.
“In his career, Sonny Gray has walked five or more batters in six of his career 330 starts,” Browne shared. “He did that today.”
Expected to be a key piece of the Red Sox rotation, the 36-year-old has struggled a bit so far this spring. In his first start of the spring, Gray pitched three innings. Now, as the regular season approaches, manager Alex Cora is expecting Gray to factor heavily into the rotation plans. Can the former St. Louis Cardinal right the ship ahead of his first season at Fenway Park?
Red Sox look to improve on last year's AL Wild Card exit
Gray, Suarez, and Oviedo are expected to bolster the rotation behind returning ace Garrett Crochet and the steady Brayan Bello. The Red Sox also have young starters Payton Tolle and Connelly Early waiting in the wings. Both young guns pitched well during Boston's run towards a Wild Card spot.
Now, more is expected from the Red Sox rotation. Suarez, with his six-year deal, is the new number two. Gray, Bello, and Oviedo slot in behind him. Crochet will likely compete for the AL Cy Young award once again. If Gray can put these spring struggles behind him, Boston could have a much deeper run this October.
