Boston Red Sox Free Agency: How Big of a Contract is Sonny Gray in Line For?

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Boston Red Sox Free Agency: How Big of a Contract is Sonny Gray in Line For?

Zach Coe · Roundtable Sports

Tue, November 3, 2026 at 10:13 PM UTC ·

3 min read

About Gray

Acquired by the Red Sox in an offseason deal with the St. Louis Cardinals , Gray posted one of the best seasons of his major league career in what could be his lone season in Boston. In 29 starts in 2026, the 36-year-old posted a 2.72 ERA, the fifth-lowest among qualified American League starters and the eighth-lowest among qualified starters in baseball. In addition to posting the second-lowest ERA of his career, Gray finished the season tied for the league lead in wins with 18.

Jun 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) waves to the crowd during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Gray anchored the Red Sox rotation in the absence of 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet, who missed the final five months of the regular season with a left shoulder injury.

While Gray was not a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award when the finalists were announced on Monday night , he will likely receive his fair share of down-ballot votes for the first time since 2023, when he finished second in voting as a member of the Minnesota Twins .

Where does Gray rank?

McDaniel lists Gray as the No. 20 free agent available and the ninth-best pitcher. Gray's ranking feels a bit unfair after the season he put together in Boston, especially since Chicago Cubs starter Kevin Gausman, who is only one year younger than Gray, is ranked the No. 15 available free agent after posting a 4.83 ERA in 2026.

"Gray has continued to be effective even as his fastball velocity creeps lower and he reaches his late-30s. Gray has continued to post, topping 165 innings for the past four years in a row. He's now a reliable starter," McDaniel wrote.

Jun 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

As for the contract that he projects Gray to receive: two-years, $42-million.

For Gray, this would undoubtedly be an underwhelming trip to free agency. After declining his mutual option and collecting the $10 million buyout, the 36-year-old is likely hoping for a deal in the $25 million range, which, when factoring in the buyout, is more like earning $35 million, or a $5 million increase from the deal you walked away from in Boston.

Still, projecting deals is an imperfect science, especially in an uncertain economic landscape across the sport. With pitching at a premium across the league, Gray should have several suitors lining up for his services.