Red Sox newcomer Sonny Gray will begin his 14th MLB season season as the team’s No. 2 starter, Cora announced Sunday.

After Opening Day in Cincinnati next Thursday, March 26, the Red Sox and Reds have an off-day Friday before playing the remaining two games of their series.

It’s familiar territory for Gray, who revitalized his career in Cincinnati after a difficult season and a half with the 2017-18 New York Yankees. In three seasons with the Reds, Gray pitched to a 3.49 ERA over 68 starts. In 2019 he was named an All-Star for the second time (2015 Oakland A’s) and finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting.

“I never wanted to go there in the first place,” Gray said of the Yankees, in his first Red Sox media availability after the trade. “It just didn’t really work for kind of, who I am. … It feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it’s easy to hate the Yankees, right?”

Gray jumped at the chance to waive his no-trade clause for the Red Sox last November. He logged on to his first Boston media videoconference wearing a 2007 World Series cap, and spoke about his close friendship with Atlanta Braves outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

“He said the Red Sox, and I immediately in my head was like, yes,” the veteran right-hander said of getting the call from St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations (and former Red Sox chief baseball officer) Chaim Bloom. “Boston just checked all the boxes for me.”

St. Louis also sent $20 million to Boston to cover a significant portion of the three-time All-Star’s 2026 salary and the buyout or $30 million club option for 2027.

The Red Sox renegotiated Gray’s contract after completing the trade. Rather than being guaranteed $40 million for the next two seasons – a $35 million salary for 2026 and $5 million buyout for 2027 – he’s now guaranteed $41 million: $31 million this season and a $10 million buyout of what is now a mutual option.

The Cardinals received lefty prospect Brandon Clarke, ranked the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system, and righty Richard Fitts in the trade. Fitts has made three Cactus League starts for his new club, but Clarke won’t be game-ready until June; in February the Cardinals announced that the lefty, who reached High-A Greenville last season, underwent surgery to address an aneurysm in his pitching arm.

Red Sox game notes

With Garrett Crochet’s start pushed back to align his schedule for Opening Day, Sunday was an impressive bullpen game by Kyle Keller, Justin Slaten, Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Watson, Wyatt Olds, Tayron Guerrero and Noah Song. The seven Sox arms combined for two earned runs (one apiece by Chapman and Song) on eight hits, six walks and struck out seven. Keller, Slaten and Olds made hitless appearances of an inning apiece.

Chapman, however, has allowed an earned run and multiple hits in each of his last two appearances. The veteran closer only allowed multiple hits – never more than two – four times and gave up a mere eight earned runs (and one unearned) in 67 appearances last season. He was only scored on in back-to-back outings once, on Sept. 10 and 13. He’s also exceeded his hit total and matched his runs allowed from his eight games last spring training.

In his first Grapefruit League game since Feb. 28, Jarren Duran went 1 for 3 with a run and stolen base, building on his impressive run with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, which included three home runs, a double and two stolen bases.

Ceddanne Rafaela also went 1 for 3 with a run and stolen base, in his second game back from playing for the Netherlands in the WBC.

Caleb Durbin continues to be one of Boston’s hottest bats in Grapefruit League play. He went 2 for 3 Sunday, the lineup’s only multi-hit performance, and is batting .400 with a 1.114 OPS through 12 preseason games.

Why Garrett Crochet, key Red Sox infielders didn’t play Sunday