Of the many moves the Boston Red Sox made on Tuesday, the in-division trade with the Tampa Bay Rays was the most interesting for a few reasons.
For one, the Red Sox were dealing a talented pitcher in Luis Guerrero to a team in the Tampa Bay Rays that’s known for producing pitching. And for two, the player they acquired, utility infielder Tristan Gray, enters a crowded mix of utility guys in Boston among names like Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard, and David Hamilton.
So what’s the rub here? Well, according to multiple insider, the Red Sox may very well see something they like in Gray, which could put some of the above names in jeopardy.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Tristan Gray looks primed to earn spot in 2026
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo pointed out that because the Red Sox already had a logjam, their willingness to give up a piece for Gray and hand him a 40-man roster spot likely means Boston will give him a real chance to earn a role sometime this year.
“One could argue that the Red Sox already had too many versatile, fringy utility types on the roster with Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton, David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom (and in a different boat, Kristian Campbell) all in the mix,” Cotillo wrote. “It’s clear, then, that there’s something that really intrigued them about Gray, who can play all over the diamond and has some pop but has not established himself as a big-leaguer entering his age-30 season.”
Rob Bradford of WEEI agreed, suggesting that of all four players that came to Boston in trades on Tuesday (the others were minor-league catchers Ronny Hernandez and Luke Heyman and minor-league utility player Braiden Ward), Gray was the name to keep a close eye on.
“(Gray) is the player acquired Tuesday that might very well have the best chance at cracking the 2026 Red Sox conversation. Coming over from Tampa Bay for Guerrero, the 29-year-old, who can play first, second, and third base as well as shortstop, appeared in 30 games for the Rays after managing a .870 OPS in 72 Triple-A games. He has one option year remaining.”
The Red Sox may have pulled Gray out of relative obscurity, but it’s clear both from the underlying metrics and the eye test that he makes loud contact and has the potential to snag a lot of extra-base hits if he can keep from striking out too often.
If you want a comparison in recent Red Sox history, it’s probably Romy Gonzalez, who hits the ball very hard and has become a critical platoon bat for Boston.
More MLB: Red Sox Unexpected Playoff Hero May Have Played Last Game In Boston: Insider