Craig Breslow has been reluctant to name Sonny Gray as the team’s No. 2 starter. He avoided any declarations about where pitchers fall into the rotation. The only guarantee at this point is that Garrett Crochet is the team’s ace.

Obviously, a trade for Tarik Skubal could push Crochet down the ladder, but that is unlikely. However, adding a pitcher to change the order behind Crochet is not out of the question, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“That said, part of Breslow’s hesitance to proclaim Gray as a No. 2 starter was because the Sox might acquire another starter this offseason who would slot in front of him,” wrote Speier on Wednesday. “For now, aside from Garrett Crochet as the team’s true No. 1, the rest of the starter designations are subject to change — potentially including Gray’s.”

The Red Sox have seen the Toronto Blue Jays sign Dylan Cease and have reportedly agreed to sign Cody Ponce. Gray can be a major boost for their team, but the Red Sox may feel pressure to add even more.

Craig Breslow has noted that Boston could shift its focus to the position player market after trading for Gray. However, there are still plenty of quality pitchers available who could be upgrades for the Red Sox.

Realistically, the Red Sox are not going to find anyone who can push Crochet into the No. 2 spot, at least not without gutting their team and farm system. However, players like Freddy Peralta, Framber Valdez or Michael King could all push Gray down the rotation.

Breslow is playing it safe by not designating anyone as the team’s No. 2 starter. Should they pull off a trade for Peralta or sign a player like Valdez or King, Gray would surely be behind them in the rotation.