Sonny Gray has opted out of his contract: he is now a free agent

Not surprisingly, Sonny Gray is now a free agent.

The pitcher had a mutual option in his contract (which is rarely exercised in MLB), and he chose not to exercise it.

Instead of receiving $30 million guaranteed, he has a $10 million buyout and is a free agent. Since he's likely to have an offer of more than $20 million on the table, the decision was an easy one.

Gray therefore has no obligations to the Red Sox at this time.

Starting pitcher Sonny Gray is officially a free agent. His Red Sox' $30 million mutual option for 2027 has been declined. | https://t.co/VpziiwnVq8 pic.twitter.com/yC00mznWBt

— masslivesports (@masslivesports) October 30, 2026

Now, we're left wondering what's next for him. Will he sign a new contract in Boston? Will he go play somewhere else?

Because yes, he'll be pitching in 2027. He considered retirement, but ultimately decided he wanted to keep playing.

We imagine the Red Sox will be very interested in bringing him back. After all, Gray was excellent in 2026, his first year in Boston.

He did an admirable job filling in for Garrett Crochet, who was injured all season. The two of them together would be incredible.

Except that after not getting the chance to see his postseason start through to the end, Gray felt truly humiliated. He didn't hide it.

He was asked if he wanted to come back to the city and—on the spot—he said he didn't know.

Before that incident, we assumed he wouldn't want to leave. But now, we're wondering if he spoke in the heat of the moment or if he still feels the same way he did a few weeks ago.

Whether he wants to come back to Boston or not, he's a free agent and can do whatever he wants. Several teams will be calling, and we'll continue to keep an eye on the Braves.

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