Gray Opts Into Free Agency as Mets, Braves Retain Core Pieces
Major League Baseball's offseason moved into gear this week as free agency opened on Nov. 2, bringing roster decisions for several veteran players. Right-hander Sonny Gray will hit the open market after receiving a $10 million buyout, while shortstop Bo Bichette and outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will remain with their current clubs after options were exercised in their favor.
Gray enters free agency coming off a strong platform season, having led MLB with 18 wins and posted a 2.72 ERA, the eighth-best mark among qualified pitchers. That ERA was his lowest since his All-Star 2015 campaign. Now entering his age-37 season, Gray has remained durable in recent years, throwing more than 160 innings and making at least 28 starts in each of the past four seasons - a track record that could make him an attractive target for teams seeking rotation stability. bandy betting promotions
Bichette, meanwhile, is staying with the New York Mets after exercising a $42 million player option for 2027, the team announced Friday. The decision stems from a three-year, $126 million contract he signed in January, which included a $40 million signing bonus and identical $42 million player options for both 2027 and 2028. A two-time All-Star shortstop during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette shifted to third base in New York to accommodate Francisco Lindor at shortstop. His production dipped in the transition - he hit .260 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs for the Mets this season, down from .311, 18 homers and 94 RBIs in 2025, when he helped lead Toronto to the American League pennant.
In Atlanta, the Braves exercised a $17 million option on Acuña, a five-time All-Star and the 2023 National League MVP, along with a $7 million option on second baseman Ozzie Albies. Acuña's option stems from the eight-year, $100 million extension he signed in 2019, which included a 2027 option with a $10 million buyout and a separate $17 million option for 2028 that carries no buyout. Albies' deal, also signed in 2019, was a seven-year, $35 million contract that included club options for both 2026 and 2027 worth $7 million apiece.
With those decisions finalized, attention now turns to the broader free-agent class, headlined by two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, both expected to command significant interest as teams begin shaping their rosters for next season.
