Red Sox Could Have Competition for Sonny Gray in NL Powerhouse

The biggest free agency looming over the Boston Red Sox centers around Sonny Gray.

The three-time All-Star was excellent in 2026 for Boston. He pitched to a 2.72 ERA and a 149-to-46 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 169 innings pitched. Plus, he led the league with 18 wins. Gray was even better than the Red Sox could've hoped for. The expectation is that he will be pitching in 2027, but the location is the question. He has a mutual option with the Red Sox worth $30 million for the 2027 season. Mutual options almost never get picked up. Even though that value actually seems fair after Gray's big season, again, mutual options almost never get picked up.

So, Gray likely will be heading to free agency, unless some sort of extension comes together. If he does, there will be competition for his services. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested that the Atlanta Braves could be a team to watch for Gray.

"The Boston Globe recently reported that he wants to pitch in 2027, and that checks out with what I’ve been told – but his aim to win hasn’t changed," Goold wrote. "It sure seems like the factors will increasingly push him toward Atlanta.

The Red Sox Will Have Competition For Sonny Gray

"Atlanta was one of the teams that pursued him when he was a free agent and the Cardinals ultimately signed him. He chose the offer from the Cardinals over one from the Diamondbacks, in part because of the proximity to home and the history and the perception that the Cardinals were spending on pitching to contend."

Goold is an insider covering the St. Louis Cardinals, where Gray played for two years before coming to Boston. So, this take is certainly interesting and worth watching.

For the Red Sox, they're going to have to decide if they even want to shell out the type of money that it will cost to keep Gray in town. If so, then they'll have to decide how high they're willing to go with the competition out there.

The Braves actually shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Atlanta expressed interest in Gray ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, but the Red Sox turned their season around, which shut down the idea of any sale. Even when Gray was a member of the Cardinals, the Braves were always floated as a potential landing spot, in large part due to Atlanta's proximity to Tennessee, where Gray is from.

Atlanta is a team that looked very good throughout the regular season, but pitching injuries hurt the club down the stretch and into the playoffs. If Gray hits the open market, the buzz around Atlanta likely will pick up even more. They're a contender and are close to where he's from. It'd be hard to compete against that.