Just when Red Sox fans were hoping for a big splash at the plate, maybe landing Alex Bregman or another marquee bat, the team surprised everyone by going in a different direction. Instead of upgrading the batter’s box, they dealt for a 36-year-old pitcher: Sonny Gray!

However, while many fans see it as yet another questionable move from president Craig Breslow, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal thinks otherwise. In his view, the trade might actually be a savvy play… One that could help bring Bregman, or a player of similar caliber, to Boston down the line!

“I’m not sure the Red Sox did well enough, but maybe they see this differently,” Rosenthal shared via Foul Territory what made the Red Sox’s trade for Sonny Gray unique.

For the unversed, Gray originally signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals. And only the final year of that contract remained, now picked up by the Red Sox. And under his 2023 agreement, Gray was set to earn $35 million in 2026 with a $30 million mutual option for 2027. But guess what, here’s where things get interesting: Boston and Gray reworked the deal to make it more team-friendly.

His 2026 salary was trimmed from $35 million to $31 million, and his buyout jumped from $5 million to $10 million!

With that adjustment, the Red Sox are getting a veteran arm with a career 3.58 ERA and back-to-back 200-strikeout seasons heading into 2025. That’s enough for the team to fit Gray nicely as a No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet. But what’s unique here?

Well, what Rosenthal likes is how they avoided shelling out $50–$100 million for pitchers like Dylan Cease or Framber Valdez. By saving that money, the team keeps its financial flexibility to chase a big bat.

“Alex Bregman, to me, still is the guy they should be targeting first and foremost, and I expect that they will.” As per Rosenthal, Bregman is still the ideal target. He believes the Sox should make him their top priority, though signing him would likely cost at least $150 million.

So instead of blowing their budget on pitching, the Red Sox may have played it smart…

They added Gray on a manageable contract while keeping enough room to pursue Bregman or another star hitter.

Adding batters is the need of the hour for the Red Sox

Well, when a team finishes a season ranking 15th in home runs and 4th in batting average, you’d think they’d be all-in on adding some big-time hitters. And to put things in perspective, Trevor Story led the Red Sox with just 25 HRs this year… So it’s no surprise Boston has been linked to several marquee free agents besides Bregman.

One name floating around is Kyle Tucker, arguably the biggest star on the market. He’s only 28 and hasn’t posted a season below 4.6 WAR since 2020. But the catch?

He’s projected to command something close to $400 million, which could make the Red Sox uneasy. That kind of price tag suddenly makes someone like Pete Alonso look like a much better value. Why? Because Alonso is one of the league’s premier power hitters and is coming off a season where he slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 HRs. And he’s expected to land around $150 million.

So, in a perfect world, skipping the ultra-expensive Tucker could allow Boston to sign both Bregman and Alonso. And based on how smartly the team handled its starting pitching decisions, that might very well be the plan.