Red Sox Reportedly Trade Away Infielder To Make Room For Ranger Suárez
It has already been a busy offseason for Craig Breslow in terms of trades, and he just made another one.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox traded Tristan Gray to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday to make room for Ranger Suárez on the 40-man roster. The Red Sox acquired Gray from the Tampa Bay Rays on Nov. 18 in exchange for Luis Guerrero.
“In part to clear a 40-man spot for free agent addition Ranger Suárez, who will be announced as the newest member of the club Wednesday morning at Fenway Park, the Red Sox have swung a minor trade to send Gray to the Twins, sources said,” Cotillo wrote.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Boston will get catching prospect Nate Baez in return.
Gray played in 30 games last season, hitting .231 with three homers. He is a versatile defender, making starts at first base, second base, shortstop and third base in the big leagues since 2023.
Suárez figures to slot in near the top of the Red Sox’s rotation. After losing Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, the Red Sox quickly pivoted to Suárez. He had a 3.20 ERA and set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.
He was a notable snub from the All-Star game and has a 3.33 ERA in his last 53 starts. The Red Sox have added Sonny Gray, Suárez and Oviedo as potential starters this offseason. While losing Bregman is a major blow to the offense, the rotation is in a great spot.
Gray was expected to compete for a utility role with the Red Sox. He will now try to find a spot on the Twins roster. His offense needs to improve, but what he brings in terms of defensive flexibility is valuable.
In the end, he was only part of the Red Sox organization for less than three months.