According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Red Sox have agreed to acquire Sonny Gray from the Cardinals.

No word yet on the return or if the Cardinals are absorbing some of his salary. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom made no secret that the club was shopping Gray, but the veteran right-hander had to waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a trade. Evidently, he had no issues going to Boston. Gray turned 36 earlier this month and is coming off a 4.28 ERA with 201 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings in 2025. He’s owed $35 million in 2026, with a $5 million buyout of his $30 million club option for 2027.

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reports that the Red Sox are showing interest in free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Catcher is not high on the top of the Red Sox’s priority list, but they do want another solid right-handed bat in the lineup, and Realmuto could fit that bill. The veteran will be 35 next year and is coming off a season in which he hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 8 steals. He does have a pulled-line-drive approach, which would work well in Fenway Park, and Boston may feel that his veteran presence would be a boon to its young pitching staff. He remains an elite defensive catcher who would give the Red Sox perhaps the best defensive catcher duo in baseball with Carlos Narvaez. It’s a situation to monitor.

Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Ohtani announced on Instagram that he’ll represent Japan again in next March’s international showcase. The 31-year-old generational superstar helped deliver Japan the 2023 World Baseball Classic title, punctuating it with one of the defining moments of his career when he struck out Mike Trout to end the tournament. It’s unclear whether he’ll take the mound this time around, but his mere presence makes the event mandatory viewing — the kind of gravitational sports moment you rearrange your schedule around without thinking twice.

Cardinals re-signed C Yohel Pozo to a one-year contract.

The deal is now official. Pozo’s return on a split contract fortifies the Cardinals’ catching situation behind Pedro Páges with Iván Herrera ticketed for DH duty until further notice. The 28-year-old backstop posted a .637 OPS with five homers and 19 RBI in 168 appearances over a career-high 67 contests this past season.

Cardinals signed RHP Scott Blewett to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Blewett will compete for a spot in the Cardinals’ season-opening bullpen during spring training after registering a pedestrian 5.48 ERA and 35/18 K/BB ratio across 44 1/3 innings over 26 appearances between the Orioles, Twins and Braves last season.

Cardinals re-signed RHP Sem Robberse to a minor league contract.

Robberse was non-tendered last week by the Cardinals after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this year. The 24-year-old righty has yet to reach the majors and has posted a lackluster 4.96 ERA across 134 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level over the last three seasons.

Reds re-signed RHP Carson Spiers to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Spiers, who will spend most of next season recovering from Tommy John surgery, returns to Cincinnati as organizational depth after being removed from the club’s 40-man roster last week. The 28-year-old right-hander owns a 5.69 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 103/41 K/BB ratio across 117 innings over 29 appearances (14 starts) since 2023.

The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli reports long-term extension talks between the Marlins and Kyle Stowers stalled earlier this offseason.

Ghiroli adds that the two sides have stopped discussing a long-term extension after being incredibly far apart — with Stowers seeking roughly $100 million and the Marlins settling closer to the $50 million range. The 27-year-old All-Star outfielder is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .288/.386/.544 with 25 homers in 117 games. He isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2027 and won’t reach free agency until 2030. Stowers enters next season as a top-30 fantasy outfielder with realistic 30-homer and 10-steal upside.

Braves signed RHP Elieser Hernández to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Hernández represents an interesting low-risk gamble for Atlanta heading into next season. The 30-year-old righty, who holds a pedestrian 5.10 ERA across 303 1/3 innings over 99 appearances (49 starts) in the majors since 2018, finished last season in Toronto’s system after two seasons pitching overseas for the LG Twins in Korea.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is set to begin playing in the Venezuelan Winter League on Friday.

Acuña obviously couldn’t play for his hometown team last winter because he was recovering from an ACL tear, but this will be his third stint with La Guaira in the last four years. He hit .398/.524/.717 over 31 games in the first two.