Shane Bieber could be pitching against the Blue Jays next season. A new prediction has the Red Sox finally landing the right-hander this offseason.

Sports Illustrated's Patrick McAvoy floated the move in a recent piece. His logic hinges on Sonny Gray, because if Gray walks, Boston needs another veteran righty.

And the interest isn't new. The Red Sox were heavily tied to Bieber over the last two offseasons, but the deals never got done.

McAvoy summed it up in one line. "Maybe the time is now?" he wrote.

For Toronto, the timing is brutal. The Blue Jays missed the playoffs a year after reaching the World Series, and the rotation is heading into winter full of holes.

Bieber, Max Scherzer and Jameson Taillon are all coming off the books. Bowden Francis and José Berrios are working back from Tommy John surgery, and Cody Ponce from a torn ACL.

Sonny Gray's future could decide where the righty lands

Bieber's 2026 line was uneven. He went 5-2 with a 4.37 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 11 appearances.

That followed a 2025 stretch in Toronto where he posted a 3.57 ERA in seven appearances. He then took the ball in Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.

The injuries are the catch. He's dealt with health trouble in recent seasons, which is why those appearance totals look so thin.

The resume still sells. He's a two-time All-Star and a former Cy Young winner, and he sits among the top pending free-agent arms this winter.

So should Toronto pay to keep him? Yes, on a short deal, because watching him take the ball against this lineup in a Red Sox uniform would be a self-inflicted wound.

Letting him walk to Fenway is like selling your snowblower to the guy next door in November. You get to watch him use it all winter.

And Toronto has the money. Mark Shapiro said he expects payroll to land in a similar area to 2026, with a pile of salary already cleared.

Boston won't be the only bidder, either. A 6-foot-3 righty with that pedigree tends to draw a crowd once the market opens.

Even if Gray re-signs, the Red Sox could still circle back. If he doesn't, Ross Atkins may find out quickly how serious Boston is this time.