With the Red Sox’s season falling apart, there are talks of the team completely blowing up with trades and resetting for 2027. This may include trading big names on the roster, such as Aroldis Chapman, Jarren Duran, and Trevor Story. One name that has come up is pitcher Sonny Gray. The right-hander is having a phenomenal season this year, going 8-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts. With Gray rumored to be okay with opening up his no-trade clause, the same one he opened up to come to Boston, a few questions start to come into play.
Where Would Sonny Gray Go?
Now, as good as Sonny Gray is, and as much as any team would be happy to have him, Gray would most likely want to go to a contender to contribute for a ring. The one caveat here is that his contract is a bit pricey. While he’s only making 11 million this year, he has a 30 million play option for the 2027 season. Potential landing spots could be teams such as the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, or the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves could be a potential landing spot as they’ve been linked to him this season, and right now, this makes sense. As of now, the Braves’ best right-hander currently active is Bryce Elder, who has a record of 5-5 and a 3.71 ERA. He’s not a bad pitcher; he has 79 strikeouts. But he doesn’t have the winning track record that Gray has. With star pitcher Spencer Strider on the injured list currently, as well as Spencer Schwellenbach out for the next few months, the lack of depth is really showing. A guy like Gray could do really well in a one-two punch with former Sox pitcher Chris Sale.
The Braves like Sonny Gray and @JonHeyman’s guess is that he wouldn’t mind being flipped to Atlanta.
Keep in mind, he has a full no-trade clause, so the decision will ultimately be in Gray’s hands. pic.twitter.com/7uVAuHusTu
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 19, 2026
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs, unlike Atlanta, do have a few righties in the rotation, with Edward Cabrera, Jameson Tallion, and Colin Rea as some names in there. But with all of those names having average-to-below-average seasons, plus with some key injuries such as Cade Horton, it is an avenue to look at for them. Given that the Cubs are in the middle of the pack in ERA and bottom ten in quality starts, someone like Gray, with eight quality starts (who would be the leader on the team), could certainly be a beneficial addition for a team looking to make a push for a top Wild Card spot.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a weird one, considering their pitching staff is already stacked as is and the fact that the Red Sox have already done a trade with them recently. But the Brewers are a game and a half back of the best record in baseball (as of June 23rd). They are legitimate contenders this season. With Kyle Harrison and Jacob Misiorowski leading this rotation with a combined 16-4 record, adding someone like Gray could push them over the Braves and compete with the Dodgers for the best team in baseball and arguably the team who can win the World Series.
What Do The Red Sox Need In Return?
With the Red Sox falling apart, the fair assumption is that this season is all but over for them and that they should start rebuilding for the future. Whether that’s prospects or a decent young player that isn’t a key piece of the team they’re dealing with, they need to reset this roster somehow.
The fair assumption is that there’s not a pressing need for outfielders, seeing as Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony are all under 26 (at least until September when Rafaela turns 26), as well as prospects like Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar in the system. And they’ve got plenty of pitching depth as well. But the infield is where they struggle.
Sure, the number 10 prospect in all of baseball, Franklin Arias, who has been killing it this season, is supposedly the next guy up, and there are some solid minor leaguers in the infields across the organization, such as Henry Godbout. But until they start to prove themselves as they move up, there are questions to be had. Marcelo Mayer’s future is up to debate after a lackluster start for the hyped-up prospect.
The other middle infield spot (mainly second base, as Mayer plays short currently) has been wide open for a while now. And the catcher position has been up for debate for the past couple weeks currently. There are definitely spots to fill on this team.
Sonny Gray Mock Trades
Trade #1:
Braves Get: Sonny Gray
Red Sox Get: John Gil (Braves #10), Ethan Bagwell (Braves #21)
With the infield core in the minors having some top-end talent, such as Arias and Godbout, but needing a little more depth, someone like Gil is good. He’s at High A currently, so while there’s a need for depth, there’s not a need to rush the 20-year old up to make a splash. The shortstop is hitting .275 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs currently for the Rome Emperors.
As for Bagwell, as mentioned, there’s plenty of pitching depth. But should some of that be moved off for a big move in the offseason, they could always have more. Despite his 3-3 record in Augusta (Single A), he does have an ERA of 2.90 right now. With how the Boston organization develops pitchers currently, this could be an ideal package.
Trade #2:
Cubs Get: Gray
Red Sox Get: Owen Ayers (CHC #8)
OR
Matt Shaw, Ty Southisene (CHC #25)
There are two ways this could go. One is a reach, but it would be a great move. And the other could benefit the Sox really well immediately. Here’s the breakdown on both.
Owen Ayers is the top catching prospect for the Cubs and the 8th overall prospect in their system. Now, someone at the top of a positional group may be hard to acquire, especially with not a lot behind Carson Kelly. But with the Sox’s catcher group up in the air, it feels like they need a solidified answer. Maybe that comes in a Chapman trade. But a catcher who’s hitting .298 with 25 extra base hits in Double-A Knoxville is an offer too good to pass on. He needs some work defensively. Despite his 70-arm grade, he has three errors at catcher in Knoxville, as well as struggling to throw runners out. But it’s a thought.
Now for Shaw. Shaw has been a name thrown around for a while. The utility player is being pushed out of the infield due to the depth, while the Sox need infield help. Southisene’s a decent minor leaguer just to throw in the deal, batting .311 in High-A currently. It’s not as enticing as the Ayers deal offensively, but Shaw only has one error in 46 innings at second this year. And he’s from Springfield, so having a local player might be nice.
Trade #3:
Brewers Get: Gray
Red Sox Get: Josh Adamczewski (MIL #10)
The Brewers have a surplus of middle infielders in their minor league system, with the top four guys all being able to play between second and short. With the overcrowded minors at that position group, someone like Adamczewski, who can also play the outfield, has a .964 fielding percentage in 685 innings at second for his career. He’s also hitting .331 across High-A and Double-A this season.
The Last Word
It will be interesting to see what happens with Gray. It is ultimately up to him, but if a contender’s interested in him, it would be reasonable if he wanted to waive his no-trade clause to leave. As for the return packages, with how well he’s performing, it’d be expected to get something back for them. Given his age and contract, it wouldn’t be a top-five prospect return worthy, but it should be something good. As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, it will be interesting to see how the Red Sox build towards the future.
Main Image Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
