Sonny Gray plans to pitch in 2027, and the Blue Jays should be first in line if he leaves Boston. The veteran right-hander is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.

Gray is expected to opt out of his deal with the Red Sox once the World Series wraps up. Where he lands next is wide open.

The numbers are hard to ignore. He went 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA over 169 innings this season.

He's also a finalist for the AL Outstanding Pitcher Award at the Players Choice Awards, alongside Toronto's Dylan Cease and the Yankees' Cam Schlittler.

Picture those two in the same rotation. Cease and Gray would give Toronto a top two that could match anyone in the AL East.

What about the age? He's 36, and that's the only real reason for pause.

Signing Sonny Gray would also hurt the Red Sox

There's a division twist. SI's Patrick McAvoy wrote that if Gray walks, Boston "will need another veteran right-hander," and predicted the Red Sox would target Shane Bieber.

That makes this a two-for-one opportunity. Signing Gray strengthens Toronto and forces Boston to scramble, possibly into a bidding war for Bieber.

The rotation need is obvious. José Berrios and Bowden Francis are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Cody Ponce is returning from ACL surgery, and Max Scherzer is a free agent.

MLB.com's Keegan Matheson has said the Jays need to add multiple starters this winter. This would be the strongest version of that plan.

Give him a two-year deal and don't blink. An 18-game winner is worth more than any reunion, and taking him from Boston makes it sweeter.

Signing Gray away from the Red Sox is like hiring your rival's best chef the week before their big opening. You get the talent, and they get the headache.

The risk is a decline at his age. A short deal limits that exposure.

The Red Sox will try to keep him, and others will call. If Ross Atkins wants a statement signing that also rattles the division, this is it.