Pittsburgh Pirates fans, we need to have a serious talk — not about payroll lies, not about Nutting’s latest “flexibility” fairytale, not even about whether Ben Cherington is capable of a decisive move that doesn’t involve a minor-league flyer. No, this is about something far more important:
The Boston Red Sox just acquired Gray — a durable 35-year-old starter with a history of ups and downs — and the St. Louis Cardinals walked away with two legit pitching prospects in Brandon Clarke (a real lefty with future-rotation upside) and Richard Fitts (a big-league–ready depth arm).
Even with St.