Bloom, who was head of baseball operations for the Red Sox before being fired, now is relying on the Red Sox to jump-start his rebuild. He made it clear that instead of just dumping payroll, they needed prospects in return, and were willing to pay about half of the remainder of Gray’s contract.

The Cardinals’ rebuild accelerates after the Sonny Gray trade as Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan shape their next MLB Free Agency moves.

Rangers pursue Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray in blockbuster trade, addressing critical starting rotation depth after Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo deal.