With Sonny Gray just four days away from returning to Busch Stadium to face his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox finally have completion of their November trade involving the veteran right-handed pitcher.

The rebuilding Cardinals traded Gray and cash considerations to the Red Sox for right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke and a player to be named later back on Nov. 25. On Monday, that player to be named later became right-handed pitcher Patrick Galle, who was promptly assigned to Single-A Palm Beach upon completion of the trade.

Galle, 22, pitched two seasons at Ole Miss before being a 17th round pick of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Red Sox. At Ole Miss, Galle in relief in 14 games and struck out 15 batters in 11 innings pitched.

After the MLB Draft, Galle pitched in three games as a reliever in 2025 and one game in relief this season for Class-A Salem. Over 7 1/3 innings of work, Galle struck out four and walked seven while posting a 4.91 ERA.

Gray, 36, was dealt to the Red Sox after two seasons with the Cardinals. The veteran right-hander, who originally signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals in 2023, is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts with the Red Sox.

Gray became the first pitcher in the rich history of the Cardinals to strike out at least 200 hitters in his first two seasons with the club. Over 60 starts with the Cards, Gray went 27-17 with 203 and 201 strikeouts in 2024 and ’25.

Moving Gray was just one part of the Cardinals’ massive shift to rebuilding mode for the 2026 season. The club traded first baseman Willson Contreras (also to the Red Sox in a separate deal), Brendan Donovan (to the Mariners) and Nolan Arenado (to the D-backs) for a haul of mostly prospects and draft choices.

Fitts, who reached the big leagues with the Red Sox in 2024 and ’25, made a strong push to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster in Spring Training. Instead, he was assigned to Triple-A Memphis where he is expected to provide depth for the big-league club as a likely midseason call-up.

Fitts, 26, is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA over 10 1/3 innings of work over his first two starts. He has struck out eight and walked four to help Memphis become one of the top teams in Triple-A early in the season.

Clarke, who was believed to be the centerpiece of the return for the Cardinals, will miss the first half of the 2026 season after having surgery to repair an aneurysm in his left shoulder. The aneurysm was believed to be the reason that the 22-year-old lefty was feeling numbness in his left hand and why he struggled with blister issues on his fingers during the 2025 Minor League season.

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