If the Boston Red Sox end up letting Sonny Gray walk this offseason, it's going to be a real question whether or not they look to add another right-handed starter.
Internally, the Red Sox have Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford as options. But all have question marks. Bello was better in the bullpen in 2026 than he was in the rotation. Houck missed the entire season, aside from the regular season finale. Crawford missed the entire season and hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024.
Gray was awesome in 2026, but with an expensive mutual option likely to be declined, he'll head to the open market. Then, it's completely up in the air if he returns. If he does leave and Boston decides to add, rather than sticking internal, three options who would fill the void are Michael King, Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize.
Michael King
King is a hurler that Boston fans should be familiar with. Last offseason, he was one of the hurlers connected to the organization, but he stuck around with the San Diego Padres. King has an opt-out this winter after a great 2026 campaign. King logged a 3.21 ERA in 32 starts and set a new career-high with 4.3 wins above replacement. If he opts in, he'll get a big raise for the 2027 season and then have a player option for the 2028 season. If he enters the open market, he should get a longer deal than that. He's just 31 years old and played his college ball at Boston College. If he becomes available and Gray leaves, King should be a top target.
Freddy Peralta
Peralta arguably is the best right-handed hurler heading to the open market. He had a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays in the regular season after the trade deadline. He has a 0.84 ERA in two playoff starts so far this fall as well. Overall, he has a 3.48 ERA in 11 postseason games in his career. The only negative with Peralta is the fact that he is likely going to land a monster deal this winter.
Casey Mize
Unlike Peralta, Mize lost himself some money down the stretch. He had a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts with the Detroit Tigers and then was traded to San Diego. With the Padres, he had a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts. Mize would be a very good option for Boston if it could get him closer to the version of himself that thrived with Detroit. Plus, he certainly shouldn't break the bank.
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