The starting pitching market filled up fast this week, and teams outside the players’ own clubs can’t even make offers yet. Sonny Gray, Michael King and Nick Martinez all became free agents when their contract options were turned down, joining a pool that the MLB Players Association put at 155 free agents as of Friday. Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta were already on it.
Clubs have until Monday at 4 p.m. CT to settle their remaining options and finish exclusive negotiating windows with their own free agents. After that, everybody can bid.
Gray is out in Boston
The Red Sox declined their half of Gray’s $30 million mutual option, as The Associated Press reported, per MLB Trade Rumors. Gray went 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA over 29 starts and 169 innings in 2026, with 149 strikeouts, 46 walks and a 1.15 WHIP. His walk rate was 6.7%.
He turns 37 next week. He told the Boston Globe he still plans to pitch in 2027 and wants to win a World Series, “whether that is [with] Boston or with whoever wants me.” Gray has received a qualifying offer before, so he can’t get another one and no draft pick compensation comes with him. MLB Trade Rumors noted reports that he prefers to stay on the East Coast or pitch somewhere near Nashville.
Gray’s 2026 line is about command and staying on the mound. A 3.2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 169 innings at 36 is the case for him. His age is the reason teams will likely push for a shorter deal.
King opts out again
King declined a $28 million player option with the Padres and took a $5 million buyout, the AP reported, making him a free agent for the second straight offseason. The 31-year-old right-hander went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 32 starts and a 1.18 WHIP. MLB.com credited him with a career-high 4.3 bWAR and ranked him with Peralta as the second- or third-best pitcher available, behind Skubal.
King re-signed with San Diego last winter on a three-year, $75 million deal with opt-outs, so walking away means passing on the two years and $53 million left on it. Because he signed a qualifying offer last offseason, he can’t receive another one, so no draft pick is attached. MLB.com reported that the Padres and King both remain interested in a reunion, and San Diego has until Monday to negotiate with him exclusively.
The one number teams will look at closely is his strikeout rate, which dipped to 21% in 2026. He still made 32 starts, then allowed one run over 12 innings in two postseason starts, per MLB.com.
Martinez leaves Tampa Bay
The Rays declined their side of Martinez’s $20 million mutual option, MLB.com reported, and owe him a $4 million buyout on top of his $9 million salary. Jon Heyman reported that Martinez declined his end as well.
Martinez is 36 and went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA over 31 starts and 180 innings. The Rays went 25-10 in games he pitched, and he allowed five runs in 16 postseason innings. His 3.6% walk rate was the best among qualified starters, ahead of Drew Rasmussen and Chris Sale at 4.8%, per MLB Trade Rumors.
His profile is the opposite of a power arm. He struck out 15.1% of hitters, and his 3.96 FIP and 4.63 SIERA both ran well above his ERA. Those estimators lean heavily on strikeouts, so a pitcher who lives on weak contact and almost no walks tends to look worse on them. MLB Trade Rumors expects him to find a decently paying two-year deal.
More arms on the board
Dustin May declined his half of a $20 million mutual option with the Brewers and gets a $500,000 buyout, MLB Trade Rumors reported. The 29-year-old had a combined 4.70 ERA over a career-high 145 2/3 innings, with a 23.2% strikeout rate, an 8.1% walk rate and a fastball that averaged close to 97 mph.
Michael Soroka declined a $10 million mutual option with Arizona and takes a $1 million buyout, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Soroka had a 3.41 ERA over 116 innings, and his 24.1% strikeout rate led Diamondbacks starters. He walked 6% of hitters. He also missed time with a glute strain and arm inflammation, and he enters his age-29 season.
The Orioles declined Zach Eflin’s $25 million mutual option and will pay a $2 million buyout, MLB.com reported. Eflin, 32, had Tommy John surgery on April 8 after making one start. He has said he wants to return to Baltimore.
Who stayed put
Luis Severino will exercise his $22 million player option and stay with the A’s, MLB Trade Rumors reported Saturday morning, after Mike Rodriguez of Rompiendo Sports broke the news. Severino had a 4.16 ERA in 12 starts and 62 2/3 innings before a shoulder injury ended his season. The A’s also declined Jeffrey Springs’ club option.
The Marlins picked up Sandy Alcantara’s $21 million option instead of paying a $2 million buyout. Alcantara went 13-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 33 starts.
The biggest pitching decision still on the table belongs to the Rays. They have a $20 million club option on Rasmussen with a $500,000 buyout, and MLB.com noted the franchise has never paid a player that much for a single season. MLB Trade Rumors expects Tampa Bay to exercise it and has floated a possible trade. That call is due Monday.
MLB Trade Rumors also noted the offseason is likely to be interrupted by a lockout, which could squeeze the window teams have to get deals done.
Featured photo: Sonny Gray pitching for the Red Sox against the Twins, April 14, 2026. Chris Waugaman via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.
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