When news first broke that Sonny Gray had been acquired by the Red Sox, a couple of things immediately jumped out.

One, he strikes a lot of people out. Two, he’s significantly cut down on walks over the course of his career, and last season his 5% walk rate ranked among the best in MLB.

Most people would consider that a great combination, but speaking to reporters Tuesday the 36-year-old said he believes he still has room to grow and adapt, and part of that might mean allowing a few more walks from time to time.

“I spin the ball better than anyone in baseball, that’s a fact. I still have enough velo to allow that to play, that’s a fact. I can take my fastball and go both ways with it just as good as anyone,” Gray said. “I still get my strikeouts, my walk rate has drastically declined and I will argue some would say that’s great, I’d argue there’s some give and take there, maybe a few more walks could be better, a few more walks, a few less hits, a few less homers, a little bit less damage.

“That’s something I’d love to get into, situations where walks are ok,” Gray continued. “It’s ok to walk a guy right here rather than giving up a double or damage or throwing a pitch that could potentially lead to damage.”

Home runs have become more of a problem for Gray since he finished second in the American League Cy Young vote back in 2023. That season he posted a 2.79 ERA with only eight home runs allowed, but since then he’s posted a 3.84 ERA with 21 home runs in 2024 and last year he had a 4.28 ERA with a career-high 25 homers.

“Walks down, strikeouts up, damage up, homers up,” Gray said. “Homers are a run so there’s a way to get back to limiting damage, punching out people and the walks may go up a little bit with it, and that would be ok.”

Gray said among the reasons he’s excited to join the Red Sox is that he believes he’s philosophically aligned with the club’s pitching coaches and the way they teach spin. He said he plans to meet with Andrew Bailey on Thursday, and even after 13 years in the majors he’s confident the club can help him reach an even higher level.

“I would love to continue to learn, continue to grow and continue to develop,” Gray said. “Because I know there’s more left in there for me.”