Cardinals' Sonny Gray deal is finally complete as team acquires pitcher with upside

Sonny Gray is a name the St. Louis Cardinals haven't had to think about in some time. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox back in November, and while he's off to a middling start in his new home, about the only thing the Redbirds are worried about is the $20 million in salary they're on the hook for this year.

However, one of the finer details in that trade was that the Red Sox owed a player to be named later to the Cardinals. Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts were the big names in the return, but that PTBNL had gone unnamed... until now.

Patrick Galle is a 22-year-old pitching prospect (his birthday was April 5) whom the Red Sox selected in the 17th round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He's thrown all of 7 1/3 professional innings since being drafted, but he's got intriguing upside the Cardinals were wise to target.

Patrick Galle joins Cardinals as final piece of Sonny Gray trade

A product of Ole Miss who struggled at the NCAA level, Galle was a pure upside selection by the Red Sox. He's got big-time velocity (he routinely reaches the upper-90s with his fastball) and terrific extension, but there are concerns about other parts of his game.

In particular, the scouts over at SoxProspects highlighted that Galle struggles with command due, in part, to his "significantly high-effort delivery." He's a pure relief prospect with an interesting cutter-slider combination, but his development will depend on his ability to hone his four-seamer and keep it around the strike zone.

Considering he pitched just 11 total innings at Ole Miss, expect Galle to settle in for a while at Low-A Palm Beach. His raw tools are tantalizing, but his total lack of experience means refinement will take some time. In a best-case scenario, he'll ride his fastball up the lower levels of the minors this year, but he's not going to succeed beyond High-A without better secondaries and/or control of his pitches.

As for the other two pitchers included in the deal, Clarke is currently recovering from a shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him out until June or July. He remains one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, but he's got a concerning injury history dating back to his days in Boston.

Meanwhile, Fitts is one of the team's top depth starters this year, currently serving as the unofficial ace of the Memphis Redbirds. Through two Triple-A starts this year, the 26-year-old right-hander owns a 1.74 ERA and 3.10 FIP.