Red Sox just made the NY Mets' lives much easier with their Sonny Gray trade

The starting pitching market is going to be fierce, and for the New York Mets, landing that elusive front-of-the-rotation arm is a top priority, if not the top priority, this winter.

They're not alone. The New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and many others are expected to be players in this market. That's going to make things expensive, whether it's in dollars and years in free agency, or prospect capital on the trade market.

With that said, things just got a little easier. The Boston Red Sox just pulled off a deal to land St. Louis Cardinals' ace Sonny Gray, knocking one deep-pocketed competitor out of the field.

The Red Sox trading for Sonny Gray means only good things for the Mets

The Red Sox were desperate to find a running mate for Garrett Crochet and had been linked to all of the top options, including a trade for Milwaukee Brewers' star Freddy Peralta. By landing Gray, they scratch the itch, but in doing so, they're acquiring a pitcher who was never an option for the Mets.

Gray famously bombed out with the crosstown Yankees after being traded there by the Oakland Athletics eight years ago. Gray, a Tennessee native, was visibly uncomfortable in the New York spotlight, posting some of the worst numbers of his career and getting demoted to the bullpen by the end of his Bronx tenure.

Since then, he's trekked through Midwestern obscurity, rebounding to the status of a solid No. 2 starter while toiling for the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and finally, the Cardinals.

Gray had a full-no-trade clause, so he had control of his landing spot, and even if the Mets were willing to take the risk that things would be smoother in a different borough, Gray likely would've never let it happen.

Now, the Mets have one less contender to face off with. Freddy Peralta is a favorite around these parts, and now Boston is one less destination the Brewers can leverage to try and extract a bigger package from their former front office leader.

In free agency, the Red Sox will no longer be bidding on starters, alleviating some of the supply-and-demand imbalance that was going to make going this route costly.

At the end of the day, a top competitor for a key need is gone, and they satisfied that hole without stealing away a prime option for the Mets. Thanks, Boston, we owe you one!