Sonny Gray gave the Red Sox a year they could only have hoped for, then answered the biggest question around his future with a blunt three-word line: “I don’t know.”
That came Wednesday night after Gray worked 4 2/3 innings in Game 2 of Boston’s wild-card series against the New York Yankees, allowing two runs and keeping the Red Sox in position to win. The second run was charged after Boston pulled him and Erik Miller let a runner he inherited score.
Gray did his part. He gave the Red Sox a chance.
And he did plenty more than that across the season. Boston went into the offseason looking for a No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet and ended up landing Gray from the St.
Louis Cardinals. He turned into the staff’s top arm, finishing with a 2.72 ERA in 29 starts and giving the Red Sox exactly the kind of stability they needed.
The issue now is whether there’s even another chapter. Gray has already opened the door to the possibility of walking away after the season, so the question isn’t just whether he’ll be back in Boston - it’s whether he’ll pitch again at all.
Crochet addressed that possibility Wednesday night, and his comments were transcribed by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.
“I was telling him that a second ago, whatever him and his family decide, it was a joy to watch this year.” Crochet said.
“I still think he’s got a lot to give the game, but there’s something to be said about going out on your own terms, I suppose. Whatever he ultimately decides, that’ll be something that as a team, we support him on.
But it was a pleasure having him here in Boston.”
If Gray does keep pitching, the Red Sox would seem to have every reason to stay in the mix. His $30 million mutual option for 2027 is very unlikely to be exercised, which would push him toward free agency.
Boston’s rotation picture is crowded, but not without questions. The group includes lefties Crochet, Payton Tolle, Ranger Suarez and Jake Bennett, along with right-handers Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford.
Even with that depth on paper, the Red Sox spent the 2026 season dealing with injuries all over the place, and that reality makes Gray’s reliability stand out even more. He hasn’t finished a season with fewer than 24 starts since the shortened 2020 campaign, and before that, the last time it happened was 2016.
That’s why this situation feels bigger than a simple free-agent decision. Gray was a workhorse for Boston all year, and the club also has to sort through the fact that he and Willson Contreras both spoke Wednesday about the early hook in Game 2 and the way analytics are used in Boston.
For now, the answer to Gray’s future is still unresolved. The Red Sox should make every effort to bring him back if he keeps going.
But nothing about this one is settled.
In Other News...
Willson Contreras Just Sparked A New Red Sox Debate
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Contreras pushed the idea that experience and veteran leadership still matter just as much as the numbers, especially in a series like this one against the Yankees. For a Red Sox team already trying to sort through the disappointment of the loss, his comments add another layer to the conversation about how much trust should be placed in the process when the stakes are highest. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Season Ended In The Worst Way Against The Yankees
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Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet both were dealing with injuries during the series, adding another layer of frustration to a matchup that already carried plenty of history. With the Yankees moving on to the American League Division Series, the Red Sox are left to sort through not just the final score of their season, but the feeling that their October ended in the worst possible way. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Gray Just Made Bostons Offseason A Lot More Complicated
Sonny Grays first October cameo with the Red Sox gave Boston plenty to weigh going forward, even before the offseason conversations really begin. He worked 4.2 innings in the Wild Card series against the Yankees, allowed two runs and struck out five, then came out early at the decision of manager Chad Tracy.
After the series, Gray did not sound like someone assuming he would be back in Boston next season. The veteran right-hander said he was disappointed by the early removal and signaled uncertainty about returning, even after a season in which he posted a 2.72 ERA and led the league with 18 wins. For a team that just got a close-up look at what he can still provide, the question now is whether it gets another one. [Read more 🡒]