The Red Sox are not having a good year. At 30-43, they are sitting dead last in the AL East, and the Boston Globe has already started telling fans to expect a sell-off before the August 3 deadline. That means Sonny Gray is going to be available, and the Phillies should be the first team calling.
Gray is 36 years old, a three-time All-Star, and in the final year of his contract. He is also having one of the best seasons of his career. Through 13 starts, the right-hander is 8-1 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 69.1 innings. At Fenway Park, those numbers get even better: a 2.32 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. His 55-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio shows the kind of command that typically holds up in October.
Philadelphia’s rotation currently leans on Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesus Luzardo. That is a solid top three, but the depth behind them is thin enough to worry anyone thinking about a deep playoff run. Gray would immediately slot in as the No. 2 starter and give manager Rob Thomson a proven postseason arm. The remaining money owed on Gray’s deal after Boston’s contributions is around $6-7 million. For a team trying to win a World Series, that is pocket change.
The Phillies have the prospects to make this happen, too. Two of them specifically.
The Offer That Makes Sense for Both Sides
Boston is not going to hand Gray over for nothing. They want young pitching, and Philadelphia has exactly the kind of high-upside arms a rebuilding team needs, even if both are currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Moisés Chace is the headliner. The 22-year-old Venezuelan right-hander was ranked as high as No. 5 in the Phillies system before going under the knife in 2025. Before the injury, he put up a start at Double-A that scouts still talk about: six innings, one hit, 13 strikeouts, no runs. If he comes back with his velocity and command intact, he has mid-rotation potential.
The other piece is Wen-Hui Pan, a 21-year-old from Taiwan who throws 96 mph with a fastball that Baseball America grades at 70 and a split-changeup at 60. He had three earned runs in 21 innings at High-A before his own Tommy John surgery. Evaluators see him as a future high-leverage reliever or maybe a back-end starter.
For Boston, getting two hard-throwing pitching prospects with clear MLB futures fits a franchise that is clearly in reset mode. Neither will be fully healthy until late 2026, which gives the Red Sox a development timeline that matches where they are as an organization.
For Philadelphia, trading two injured prospects for a dominant rental arm is a no-brainer. Gray has already waived his no-trade clause once this year and has made it clear he is open to moving if the right situation comes along. The only question is whether the Phillies pick up the phone first.
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