The Boston Red Sox's lefty-dominated starting rotation is expected to lose its only righty and its ace. Sonny Gray will take to the free agent market after he posted one of the best seasons of his career at age 36.
Gray has a mutual option on his contract, but those are rarely triggered. He and the Red Sox have to agree on his pay and $30 million is likely more than the front office is willing to commit for one year of the 37 year old Gray.
A reunion isn't completely off the table, though. Gray was discouraged with Red Sox manager Chad Tracy's to pull him in the fifth inning of Wild Card Game 2, but he has seemingly put that aside and mentioned Boston as a potential future destination when speaking about winning a championship before he retires (subscription required).
There are still some possible obstacles to a reunion between Gray and the Sox, though. MLB insider Mark Feinsand reports that the Red Sox will be among Gray's "primary suitors" this offseason, but some believe he might want to play for a team closer to his home in Tennessee.
MLB insider Mark Feinsand believes geography may come between Red Sox-Sonny Gray reunion
That belief makes sense, given the way Gray framed his comments on his potential retirement — he said he would be done with baseball "in a heartbeat" if his family wanted him to be. Proximity to them is obviously important to the veteran.
It is promising that the Red Sox are expected to be one of the teams pursuing Gray most aggressively. He was one of the best pitchers in the American League last season, likely to finish in or near the top five in Cy Young Award voting, and none of the righties the Red Sox already have are quite as promising. Brayan Bello had one of the strangest, up-and-down years we'll ever see and there's no guarantee of his performance next year. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford were injured all season and their futures are just as clouded.
If Gray is hoping to play his final seasons closer to his home, the Atlanta Braves could be dangerous competition in his market. Righty Tyler Mahle will be a free agent. Spencer Strider dealt with elbow inflammation for much of last season and he's regressed from his early career success. Spencer Schwellenbach missed the entire 2026 season due to injury. Given their 2026 performances, Gray might think he has a better chance of winning a championship with the Braves than with the Red Sox, furthering Atlanta's potential as a top suitor.
While improving the offense should undoubtedly be Boston's No. 1 priority this offseason, reuniting with Gray would be an undeniable boost to its rotation. If the Red Sox hope to keep him Gray in the northeast for another year or two, they'll have to outbid and outperform suitors local to Tennessee this winter.
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