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New Red Sox trade addition offers versatility, power as he tries to ‘take the next step’
- Story by
- New Red Sox trade addition offers versatility, power as he tries to ‘take the next step’
Tristan Gray was outside his home hanging Christmas decorations Tuesday when he got a somewhat expected call informing him the Rays had traded him to the Red Sox . He knew, with that day bringing the deadline for teams to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from Rule 5 eligibility, that he might be on the move. The destination, though, was a surprise.
“Everybody’s just super shocked that it was the Red Sox ,” Gray said on Friday’s Fenway Rundown podcast . “I’ve kind of moved around small market teams, so this is the first big market, big media-centric team that I’ve been a part of. It’s definitely a lot more of a whirlwind than whenever I got picked up by the A’s or signed with the Marlins. So it’s been pretty crazy.”
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Gray then spoke to some members of Boston ’s player development group and was welcomed to the organization with a phone call from manager Alex Cora. The 30-year-old journeyman, who was acquired for righty Luis Guerrero, is the first external addition to Boston’s 40-man roster this winter , which should be a busy one for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow .
For Gray, who has spent two stints in the Tampa Bay organization as well as time with the Pirates, Marlins, Athletics and White Sox , the opportunity is an exciting one. A natural middle infielder, he has seen significant time at all four infield spots in the last couple seasons and said he’s even comfortable taking outfield reps — something he has done in spring training with the Rays — if need be.
“One thing that Cora mentioned is like, ‘Dude, we have a lot of guys that come up and down from Worcester and help out the team,’” Gray said. “So he’s like, whatever role it ends up being, just know that you can impact this ball club. So that’s my focus, taking care of my business each day, no matter where I’m at.”
In Boston, Gray joins David Hamilton , Vaughn Grissom , Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton in a crowded group of utility options on the 40-man roster. The Red Sox’ starting infield remains unsettled beyond Trevor Story returning to play shortstop with Alex Bregman a free agent, Marcelo Mayer’s future position uncertain and Triston Casas not guaranteed the starting first base job at this point in the winter. In spring training, Gray will be in the mix for a utility job, and he does have one more minor league option if the club wants to shuttle him back and forth between Boston and Triple-A Worcester. As the organization showed by starting Sogard and Eaton in back-to-back playoff games last month, there’s opportunities for players who show the club something on the field. Gray, who logged 33 Triple-A homers in 2022 in Durham and 30 in 2023, offers a power element the other utility options do not.
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Gray, a self-proclaimed “fringe guy” who has logged 47 big league games and made 515 Triple-A appearances dating back to 2021, said his mindset has shifted in recent years while moving around the diamond for different organizations.
“I think a lot of people get caught up in wanting to be the starting shortstop, or the starting first baseman, and I think just realistically, you just want to be on the team and want to play and win,” he said. “I’ve just always been told that if you can do that, that’s how you stick around in this game.
“I learned a lot from this past year of being the guy that doesn’t have to play every day, but whenever I get into the game, none of that matters and I have to perform. I struggled with it at first, but then I kind of figured out a routine.
“I think if I can just do that and be able to hopefully get enough at-bats and show that I’m capable of doing it, I think that’s the only way to get to the next step. But no one’s going to hand you anything. You don’t just get a deal here and there just because of ‘willy nilly.’ It’s proving that you can do it and handling your business the right way and being accountable. If a manager can be sure or know that you’re capable of being put in a situation, I think that’s the only thing you can do in order to get to that next step."
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Gray has never played at Fenway Park as a major leaguer but did visit as a member of the Falmouth Commodores during the summers of 2015 and 2016, when he represented Rice University in the Cape Cod League. There, he got a taste for New England — a place he’ll now call home.
“I enjoyed both summers there,” Gray said. “We took trips up to Boston. I love the history. I love history and my wife was a history teacher, so seeing all those things is amazing.
“Man, I just loved the up-frontness of everybody. My host family was amazing. They would just tell me how it was. I’m actually looking forward to re-connecting with them whenever I get to go up there, whether it be in Boston or in Worcester.”
Where exactly Gray will be playing in 2026 — whether in the majors or Triple-A or his position on the infield — remains uncertain. Regardless, he has big goals in mind.
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“My first goal was to make it to the big leagues, but now I really want to play playoff baseball,” Gray said. “I just want to experience it. The Rays were probably the closest that I’ve been. So now getting the opportunity to be with the Red Sox and knowing that is the standard — not only just being the playoffs, but playing in the World Series — is something that I really look forward to do."
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