During the 2025 offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired pitcher Richard Fitts from the Boston Red Sox in a trade, marking a notable change for Fitts, a former Helena High School and Auburn standout. Upon reporting for spring training with the Cardinals, Fitts observed a distinct atmosphere between the two teams, reflecting his adjustment to a new environment within the National League.
Fitts described his experience recently on WXOS-FM’s The Morning After, noting,
“Last year was my first big-league camp, and it was really intimidating walking into a locker room with a lot of those guys. But then going into this locker room, you know, there’s the intimidation of I just don’t know anybody here.”
He added,
“But it’s super welcoming because everybody’s in the same spot. We’re all trying to work towards the same thing. We’re in this spot where, you know, we are young. We are trying to rebuild, per se, but we’re in a good spot to where all these guys, they’re big leaders. You know, we’re not some scrubs that are just trying to get by. We’re trying to get better every day.”
Trading Fitts Came as Part of Red Sox’s Strategy Ahead of 2026
The Boston Red Sox finished the 2025 season with an 89-73 record but fell to the New York Yankees in the first round of the postseason. With ambitions set on the 2026 World Series, Boston boasts a payroll more than twice that of the Cardinals, who ended their 2025 campaign with a 78-84 record. As part of bolstering their roster, the Red Sox traded Fitts on November 25 to the Cardinals to secure three-time All-Star pitcher Sonny Gray.
Chaim Bloom, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations, recently shared that the organization looks forward to Fitts having an immediate influence on the pitching staff.
Fitts’ Performance and Challenges During Time with Boston
In his second MLB season in 2025, Fitts recorded a 2-4 win-loss mark across 10 starts, posting a 5.00 ERA. He pitched 45 innings, striking out 40 batters while allowing 43 hits and 16 walks. His season was hampered by injuries including a right pectoral strain sustained after just three starts, sidelining him from mid-April through the end of May, along with elbow neuritis that ended his season after August 25.
With the Red Sox acquiring Gray and adding Johan Oviedo and Ranger Suarez to their starting rotation—alongside returning pitchers Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and expected comeback of Kutter Crawford from injury—Fitts’ chances for a starting spot were expected to be limited in 2026.
Opportunities Awaiting Fitts with the Cardinals
Following Gray’s departure—Gray had a strong 14-8 record in 2025—the Cardinals lack a pitcher with double-digit wins in the previous season, underscoring Fitts’ potential value. Reflecting on his new role, Fitts stated,
“That feels pretty good. I am by no means kind of scooting by. I’m trying to earn everything that I’m given and there’s nothing set in stone yet.”
He further shared,
“We’re going to try and win games here, obviously, and a part of that is I’m looking for some opportunities. I was super thankful for my time with the Red Sox, but I’m excited for a new chapter in my career, and I’m loving this organization so far and hoping I stay here for a while.”
Fitts Reflects on Being Part of the Trade for a Renowned Starter
Fitts noted it was an interesting experience to be involved in a trade for a pitcher as accomplished as Sonny Gray, who holds 125 Major League wins. Talking about Gray’s move and what it meant for himself, Fitts said, “He’s a good player,” before adding,
“and I think it felt like it was a good move just in a sense of, you know, I felt like I was getting into a good opportunity here, and I saw what was going on here and felt that I could fit right in with that move. But yeah, with Sonny going over there, it felt like it was pretty cool to be in that conversation.”
Cardinals’ Upcoming Spring Season and Fitts’ Baseball Background
The Cardinals are set to open their Grapefruit League season against the Washington Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. CST. Fitts’ journey from Helena to the major leagues highlights a steady climb. At Helena High School, he contributed to the Huskies’ 2017 AHSAA Class 6A baseball championship team, although he missed much of that season due to injury. In 2018, Fitts posted an impressive 1.68 ERA with 102 strikeouts while leading Helena back to the state championship series, where Hazel Green claimed the 6A title.
Moving on to Auburn, Fitts played three seasons with a 6-6 record and a 5.54 ERA, appearing in 40 games including 14 starts. Over 117 innings, he delivered 104 strikeouts. His professional career took a leap when the New York Yankees selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft, after which he was traded along with two other players to the Red Sox in late 2023 in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo.
Early Success and Recent Statistics in the Majors
Fitts began the 2024 MLB season by impressively pitching at least five innings without allowing an earned run during his first three appearances, becoming only the second pitcher in American or National League history to achieve this feat since 1912. Over his two seasons with Boston, Fitts posted a 2-5 record with a 3.97 ERA across 15 games (14 starts), pitching 65.2 innings and striking out 49 batters while allowing 62 hits and 23 walks.
