Major Impending Free Agent Speaks on Preferences Heading into Winter

After being eliminated from the postseason this week, Minnesota Twins right-hander Sonny Gray spoke on what he's looking for in free agency - and his thoughts on playing in Minnesota again.

The Minnesota Twins were beaten by the Houston Astros this week in the American League Division Series, ending a season that saw them win an American League Central title and a wild card playoff series.

Now, with the Twins thrust into the offseason, it's time for them to start focusing on their roster building for 2024 - which includes the handling of internal and external free agents.

The biggest internal free agent the team has to deal with is right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray.

The 33-year-old Gray went 8-8 this season with a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts. He struck out 183 batters in 184.0 innings, so he certainly seems like a guy that the Twins would like to retain if they can.

Gray caught up with Dan Hayes of 'The Athletic' after the Twins elimination to talk about his situation:

“We want to go to a place where you feel wanted,” said Gray. “I don’t know if this is the right thing to say before going to become a free agent, but I’ll say it because it’s honest. Money is not the ultimate factor for me. Never has been. Having said that, you want to be valued appropriately. … There are a lot of factors that go into those decisions. It’s not only me making it. As anyone who’s known me throughout the course of this year and last year, there are a lot of other things that go into it, my wife and my kids a big part of it. But I do love it here.”

That's certainly good news for the Twins, who generally don't pay big money on the open market. They did sign Carlos Correa again this past offseason, so it's possible they could extend themselves once again for Gray.

MLBTradeRumors suggested Gray could get a deal in the 3-year, $62 million range, which is what Chris Bassitt got last season at the same age.

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