Red Sox Reportedly Make Surprising Sonny Gray Contract Decision After Trade

The Boston Red Sox made their first big move of the offseason when they acquired Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. After the team previously said it wanted to improve its starting rotation in 2026, it quickly brought in a veteran starter with a track record of success to come in and help shore things up behind Garrett Crochet.

As part of this deal, the Red Sox did quite a bit of financial work to help bring Gray aboard. In 2026, Gray will be making $41 million, but $20 million of that will be getting paid by the Cardinals, and in 2027, he has a $30 million mutual option.

With Gray’s future up in the air after 2026, he could essentially end up being a one-year rental. It doesn’t sound like the team has any plans to change that, though, as reports indicate the two sides have not discussed any sort of potential contract extension.

“There were no talks between Gray and the Red Sox about a multi-year deal,” Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently reported.

Even with his aforementioned contract situation, it’s not a major surprise that Boston isn’t interested in discussing a potential extension with Gray just yet. He just turned 36 years old and is fresh off a 2025 campaign where he posted a lackluster 4.28 ERA.

The Sox believe they can help Gray rediscover his old form, though, and if he does, that could lead to a contract being discussed. For now, it seems like the team is going to see how Gray performs before making any decisions on his future.