The Boston Red Sox may have found the veteran arm they wanted in Sonny Gray, but keeping him looks like another matter entirely.
Gray, who shined in Boston’s rotation in 2026, has a mutual option in his contract that is unlikely to be exercised. That points him toward free agency unless something unexpected changes, and the Red Sox could be staring at a familiar offseason question: how much pitching can they realistically retain, and at what cost?
As things stand, Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett figure to be part of the rotation if everyone is healthy. That leaves Brayan Bello as the most obvious candidate for the final spot. Even with Gray’s strong season, Boston appears headed toward more movement on the mound this winter, not less.
The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey suggested Gray may be on the way out and pointed to a potential destination.
"Last winter, Breslow said he wanted to add a No. 2 behind [Garrett Crochet], and the Gray trade seemed to fit that notion, but he also signed [Ranger Suarez] in free agency and made unexpected trades for [Jake Bennett] and [Johan Oviedo]. So, it’s a safe bet that more pitching is coming this winter.
Meanwhile, Gray might return, but I suspect he’ll sign elsewhere. His family lives in Nashville, Tenn., and he’d like to be closer to home - Atlanta could be an ideal landing spot."
That possibility has lingered for years. Gray is from Tennessee, and Atlanta is the closest big league team to Tennessee.
The Braves also check the other box that matters: they’re a World Series contender. After dealing with several pitching injuries in 2026, including to Spencer Strider, they were still a starter or two short of making a bigger run.
Atlanta has come up as a fit for Gray before, going back to his days with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Braves were also reportedly interested ahead of the trade deadline when Boston was struggling. If Gray does leave, Atlanta continues to look like the cleanest match.
The Red Sox would surely like to keep him, but the price could be steep, and Boston has other places to spend its money, including potentially an Adley Rutschman extension. Gray gave Boston exactly what it needed in 2026. The only real question now is whether that ends up being a one-year run.
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The challenge for Boston is not just identifying the right arm, but selling the idea of coming to a club that is still trying to climb back into contention. Martinez is coming off a run with a World Series participant, so any pursuit would come with a simple but significant hurdle: persuading a veteran pitcher that the Red Sox are the right next step before he reaches free agency after the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]