Sonny Gray had an excellent first season as part of the Boston Red Sox rotation. It may be his last in Boston.

Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reported that Gray "was expected" to leave the Red Sox in free agency, although he stopped short of saying that his departure was a foregone conclusion. 

Acquired during the 2025-26 offseason as part of a series of moves to bolster the roster, Gray took over as the staff ace as Garrett Crochet struggled while missing most of the season due to left shoulder inflammation and a strained lat muscle. He posted a 2.72 ERA and a 1.148 WHIP over his 169 innings, leading the majors with 18 wins while striking out 149 batters with 46 walks.

Playoff decision could be deciding factor in Sonny Gray leaving Boston Red Sox

The marriage between the Red Sox and Gray may have ended during the postseason. Gray was not happy with being pulled in the fifth inning of Game Two of the Wild Card round against the Yankees, saying that he was not given a reason for his removal. The Yankees would take the lead against reliever Erik Miller and continued to pile on for the sweep.

The Red Sox rotation should be in good shape even if Gray leaves. Crochet should be healthy, while young starters Peyton Tolle and Jake Bennett showed promise. Ranger Suarez should be an excellent second starter. However, teams can never have enough pitching. If Crochet falters, the Red Sox could find that they miss Gray more than they would have expected.