It’s hard to undersell how valuable starting pitcher Sonny Gray has been for the Boston Red Sox this season. It’s also hard to ignore that the Red Sox also look like sellers this Trade Deadline, and the veteran Gray is one of their most valuable trade assets.
As such, Gray has been connected to several teams around MLB. Bob Nightengale of USA Today has now added another interested team there, too, noting that the Houston Astros are going to look at him to solidify their team to make a playoff push.
“The Houston Astros, badly needing an outfielder, are showing strong interest in Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies,” Nightengale wrote. “They also plan to be in the Tarik Skubal and Sonny Gray sweepstakes.”
Beyond the Astros potentially being connected to Gray, it’s also interesting for Red Sox fans how that was framed. It’s the Tarik Skubal and Sonny Gray sweepstakes, almost putting the two on similar levels when Skubal is the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner.
In fairness, Gray has been phenomenal this season for the Red Sox. He’s pitched 89.2 innings over 16 starts. During that time, he has a 2.61 ERA, a 1.104 WHIP, and 8.2 strikeouts per nine. He’s been even better as of late, only allowing two earned runs in his last three starts.
The Challenge for the Boston Red Sox to Trade Sonny Gray
GettyBoston Red Sox SP Sonny Gray leaving the mound
On paper, Sonny Gray is an obvious trade candidate. A veteran who is having a career season and on a short-term deal, he checks all the boxes for teams looking for a rental. There is a catch for the Boston Red Sox to move him, though. Gray is expensive.
Gray is making $31 million in 2026. Then, there is a $10 million buyout from his team option for the 2027 season. That 2027 option is worth $30 million. That’s $41 million guaranteed to Gray, more than many teams will want to commit to spending on one pitcher.
Because of the challenges associated with that contract, the St. Louis Cardinals had to send $20 million to the Red Sox when they traded Gray in the offseason. That is helping cover the cost of the contract. Of course, a similar deal could be made to help offset Gray’s contract in a move at the Trade Deadline.
On top of that, Gray also has a no-trade clause. He waived that this offseason to be traded from the Cardinals to the Red Sox. Now, he’d have to waive it again to be sent from Boston, and it’s unclear if that’s going to limit Boston’s options with Gray.
Sonny Gray is an All-Star Snub
GettyBoston Red Sox SP Sonny Gray
Despite the phenomenal season, Sonny Gray wasn’t selected for the American League All-Star team. It was a decision that was quickly regarded as one of the biggest snub decisions made, but it is also likely attributable to the difficult season the Red Sox has had overall.
“I was disappointed for sure… used a lot of stuff for fuel tonight, maybe that was a little part of something,” Gray said of the snub.
Just based on the stats, it was a pretty major snub. Gray has the second-best ERA in the AL among qualified pitchers and he has the 10th-best WHIP among qualified pitchers. That’s a lot of success to overlook.
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