The San Francisco Giants know they need to go out and get a pitcher in free agency, but is Sonny Gray's name worth considering if the Boston Red Sox don't bring him back?

Should the Red Sox decide they want to opt out of his $30 million option in 2027, there's no doubt there will be a huge market for Gray.

Gray, 36, posted an incredible 18-5 record this season. He was tied with Cristopher Sanchez for the most wins in all of baseball, and his 2.72 ERA was eighth in the league.

The Tennessee native may have just had one of his best seasons of all time, but that's exactly why the Giants should be out on these sweepstakes.

Gray is going to command a pretty penny, and he simply isn't the type of player the Giants should be going at in this stage of their rebuild.

Calling it a rebuild is interesting, but there's no other way to describe a team that won just 65 games this season.

San Francisco was three losses shy of 100, and that's never been the expectation surrounding this team.

The National League West is no joke, but if they were to spend all of their money on Gray ahead of the 2027 season, that would leave far too many holes in other areas, and next year could look eerily similar to this one. 

Some say age is just a number, but it's a crucial one for a team that is trying to get younger. 

The Giants did a great job filling the void of some of their injured or struggling veterans, and while those players are necessary to help get the rookies prepared for what's to come in the big leagues, Gray is a high-risk, low-reward signing.

Again, Gray has to become available in the first place, but if he does, the Giants should pass. 

Gray may have proved that he still has a lot left in the tank, but how many more 4.3 WAR seasons does he really have in him?

One tremendous year can't overcome the fact that he was just a 3.2 WAR player combined in 2024-25. 

His career 3.51 ERA and 1.19 WHIP look quite nice, but giving up $100-plus million to a guy at this stage in his career is a disaster waiting to happen.

No matter how great he was in 2026, the Giants are best suited to spend their money elsewhere.