Red Sox's Sonny Gray May Not Be One-and-Done in Boston After All

The Boston Red Sox struck gold this past offseason when they went out and acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Entering the offseason, it was known that the Red Sox needed another No. 2 starter. Garrett Crochet finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2025, but Boston's rotation took hits left and right down the stretch. Beyond Crochet, the rotation had question marks, to say the least. The question marks only got bigger this past offseason. The Red Sox let Lucas Giolito walk in free agency and it really wasn't clear what the rotation would look like beyond Crochet and seemingly Brayan Bello.

Boston used the offseason as an opportunity to go out and add pitching and Gray was the first big get for the club. At the time, some questioned whether he could be the No. 2 starter Boston needed. He has more than delivered. Gray has been an ace for the organization and has carried the rotation, especially with Crochet on the Injured List. The veteran has a 12-2 record and a 2.78 ERA, his lowest since 2015.

The Red Sox Should Keep The Veteran

Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A few weeks ago, it seemed like his time with the organization would be approaching its end with the trade deadline quickly approaching. That isn't the case any longer. In fact, MassLive.com's Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo reported that Gray is "definitely" interested in an extension with the organization.

"The veteran, after silencing doubters about his ability to pitch in a big market with a fantastic first four months in a Red Sox uniform, is said to 'definitely' be interested in a contract extension with Boston, though conversations haven’t picked up as the Red Sox have focused on turning around their season," Cotillo and McAdam wrote.

Who saw that coming? Gray seemed like he could be the next man out the door. Now, there's a chance that he's still pitching for Boston in 2027.

This would be an excellent idea for the Red Sox. Boston traded Connelly Early away this summer already to bring Curtis Mead to town. The Red Sox are loaded in the pitching department, but the vast majority of the hurlers for the team are young guys, outside of veterans like Gray, Ranger Suárez and even Crochet. You need a good balance of both young guys and veterans. Plus, even though the Red Sox have a lot of talented hurlers, they're now down a guy who seemingly was going to be a long-term fixture in Early.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that Gray is making a legit case for himself to be the 2026 American League Cy Young Award winner. If the Red Sox can get some sort of deal done for the 2027 season to keep Gray in town, that would be an absolute win.

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