Red Sox Eye 2026 Sell-Off With Sonny Gray, Aroldis Chapman as Top Deadline Chips

3 articles · Updated · MassLive.com · Jun 18

Six games out of the final wild card and stuck in last place entering Wednesday, Boston has little deadline ambiguity left and is effectively headed toward sell mode.
A crowded field of .500-ish contenders has left few clear sellers, giving the Red Sox leverage to wait for stronger offers in a supply-starved trade market.
Sonny Gray looks like Boston’s biggest starter chip at 8-1 with a 3.03 ERA, though his inherited no-trade clause and roughly $14 million still owed after Aug. 3 could shape talks.
Aroldis Chapman may draw even broader demand: the 38-year-old closer is owed $13 million this year, with a 2027 vesting option carrying only a $300,000 buyout.
Willson Contreras could also command major interest in a weak offensive environment, but Boston is more likely to keep him because its pitching base suggests a shorter retool than a full rebuild.