One of the Boston Red Sox's expected 40-man roster moves became official on October 30. The mutual option on Sonny Gray's contract has been declined, officially making him a free agent. The option was for $30 million.
Gray is the third member of the 2026 Red Sox to hit free agency. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Patrick Sandoval were declared free agents on October 29. Boston didn't offer either of them the qualifying offer and Gray is ineligible for one after the Minnesota Twins offered it to him in the past.
Mutual options are rarely accepted because both parties (the team and the contracted player) have to agree on the next year's salary. A $30 million check is a lot for the Red Sox's current payroll situation, as well as for one year of Gray's services in his age-37 season. He'll recieve a $10 million buyout after his option was declined.
Boston and Gray could still reunite with an entirely new free agent contract but that seems like an unlikely outcome. Gray had a public disagreement with Chad Tracy after the skipper pulled him early from Wild Card Game 2, and though he mentioned a potential return to Boston after the fact, the last game between the two sides didn't end smoothly.
Sonny Gray officially becomes a free agent and Red Sox must find another righty to replace him in their rotation
The Red Sox are more likely to pursue another righty pitching option, but maybe not a direct Gray replacement. Sean McAdam of MassLive believes Boston is more likely to pursue a pitching candidate for the back of the rotation. While his statement is an assumption, it makes sense that the Red Sox would focus more of their resources on improving their offense. A Zac Gallen, Shane Bieber or Aaron Civale-type candidate off the free agent market might fit the bill, or there are dozens more options the Sox could trade for.
The Red Sox have some right-handers coming off the injured list, like Tanner Houck (who pitched the final game of the 2026 season) and Kutter Crawford. Neither pitcher has thrown consistently for quite some time — nearly two years, in Crawford's case — which could push the Red Sox toward external options.
Boston could instead turn to Brayan Bello. He wouldn't be a direct replacement for Gray because he would be placed towards the middle or back of the rotation with arms like Garrett Crochet and Payton Tolle ahead. The Red Sox may not fully trust Bello to return to the rotation, though, given his early-inning struggles in 2026. He excelled in a bulk role out of the bullpen and Boston might return him there to continue dominating.
All of the Red Sox's remaining starters from 2026 are left-handed (not counting Bello). Another righty will be necessary to balance their rotation next season. A reunion with Gray seems less likely than Boston's potential pursuit of a lower-rotation option on the free agent or trade market.
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