It’s June 28, and the Boston Red Sox's season is already one to forget. The American League isn't exactly setting the world on fire, so the Red Sox shockingly aren’t out of the playoff race just yet. However, things are looking bleak.
Due to that, it might be time to start wondering about selling off some pieces. One of the easiest pieces to trade would be Sonny Gray, a veteran arm having a phenomenal season who has shown he can pitch in big moments (3.26 postseason ERA).
According to Jon Heyman, the Atlanta Braves are potential suitors for the right-handed pitcher. So the question becomes, what could the Red Sox get in return for Gray?
The Atlanta Braves are interested in Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray, per @JonHeyman.
— Jacob Levine (@408Jake) June 19, 2026
A realistic trade deadline return package for Red Sox's Sonny Gray
For starters, you have to look at the full scope of what a team is buying. Gray is a 36-year-old who’s been pretty consistently fantastic for years. Even in 2025, when his ERA took a hit, his other numbers suggested he was the same pitcher he always was, and he’d bounce back. That’s exactly what he’s done in 2026. With that in mind, any team buying should feel confident that if they kept him for his mutual option in 2027, he’d be a valuable asset then, as well.
Gray is still not a front-end pitcher, though, he's more like a No 3. And even though age hasn’t slowed him down yet, his impending 37th birthday certainly isn’t going to make the price go up.
Let’s try to look at this realistically: the Red Sox could still get some decent prospect capital from the Braves. A top 30 name in the system and a lottery ticket would be a good place to start.
I’ve seen John Gil (Atlanta's No. 9 prospect) in High-A against the Greenville Drive a few times. A right-handed-hitting infielder with absolutely ridiculous speed who has shown improved power this year (career-high 10 home runs). Gil would bring something different to the system, and at just 20, it feels like he’s still not even close to his full potential, which is why they might be able to get more.
Next, give me Raudy Reyes. A 17-year-old who has only pitched in the DSL (so you could argue this is a lottery ticket, too). However, Reyes is the team’s 27th-ranked prospect. Listed at 6’4”, 210 lbs with a fastball that can hit 102 MPH? Sign me all the way up. Reyes is a project, and he’s out for the year. But the Red Sox don’t need pitching right now, that’s why I love it. They don’t need him to be ready for a few years.
Again, I know I’m being a bit contradictory because he’s by definition a lottery ticket, but the fact that he was given a massive signing bonus ($1.8 million) in 2025 and that he’s a top 30 prospect in Atlanta’s system makes it feel like he wouldn’t be classified as one in trade talks.
As for the actual lottery ticket, someone like right-handed pitcher Gensi Angeles fits the mold perfectly. An 18-year-old in the FCL with an incredible name (think Yhoiker Fajardo) who has put up impressive numbers so far. It’s just the FCL, so you have to take any and all stats with a hefty grain of salt, but that’s why it’s a lottery ticket.
If the Red Sox could get this type of a return for Gray, it would be a successful deal. It feels like a realistic win-win for both sides. The Red Sox get a nice return for Gray, and the Braves get a legitimate mid-front rotation arm without giving up the world to get him.
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