Baseball teams look for a lot of things when they shop for starting pitching. A big fastball helps. Strikeouts are nice. And everybody would love to find a young starter who can give them 200 innings.

But sometimes the pitcher who makes the most sense isn’t the one lighting up the radar gun.

Sonny Gray just gave teams something to think about. After a terrific first season with the Boston Red Sox, the 36-year-old right-hander has declined his $30 million mutual option for 2027. He’ll receive a $10 million buyout and become a free agent.

That decision suggests Gray believes there’s still a healthy market for what he brings. Gray could have stayed with the familiar surroundings in Boston, but he’s apparently willing to see what the market thinks he’s worth after the season he just put together.

What Gray Brings to a Rotation

The numbers are hard to ignore. Gray went 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA, 149 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP in 169 innings. He also made 29 starts and pitched at least six innings in 22 of them. Those last numbers caught my attention.

We spend a lot of time talking about velocity and strikeouts, but there’s something to be said for a starter who can consistently get his team through six innings. It gives the bullpen a chance to breathe. It gives the manager a little predictability. And over a long season, that matters.

Gray doesn’t have to overpower every hitter. His ability to generate ground balls, get opponents to chase and limit walks shows another way to get the job done.

Age Is Part of the Conversation, But It Isn’t the Whole Story

Of course, teams won’t ignore that Gray is 36. Nobody knows exactly how long a pitcher can maintain this kind of performance, and one excellent season doesn’t guarantee another. That’s where the negotiations get interesting.

A team might hesitate to offer a lengthy contract to a pitcher at this stage of his career. But a shorter commitment could make plenty of sense for a club that needs a dependable starter now. I think that’s what makes Gray an intriguing free agent. He’s not asking teams to imagine what he might become. He’s coming off a season that shows what he can still do.

The Red Sox know what they had. Now other teams get to decide whether they want a piece of it. Sometimes the best addition isn’t the pitcher with the biggest arm. It’s the one who gives you a chance to win every fifth day. Gray has made a pretty good case that he can still be that guy.

Related: Brewers Pregame Ritual Makes You Wonder What Other Teams Are Hiding