Not everyone is keen on waking up in the city that never sleeps.
Veteran pitcher Sonny Gray has returned to the American League East, signing with the Boston Red Sox following a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals last week.
During a media introduction on Tuesday, Gray, who previously played for the New York Yankees, reflected on his challenging tenure in the Bronx and expressed enthusiasm for being on the rival’s side of baseball’s most storied competition.
“I didn’t want to go there in the first place,” he remarked, having waived his no-trade clause to join the Red Sox. “It feels good to go to a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees.”
The Yankees acquired Gray when he was with the Oakland Athletics in 2017, just before the trade deadline. After a rocky outing with New York, where he had a 4.51 ERA in 34 starts, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and managed to regain his form.
Gray signed a three-year extension with the Reds and came back strong, finishing his 2019 season impressively, even finishing seventh in Cy Young Award voting.
Following a stint with the Minnesota Twins, Gray concluded his second season in St. Louis with a respectable 4.28 ERA and 201 strikeouts across 32 starts.
He shared with reporters on Tuesday that despite his struggles in New York, he appreciates the impact that experience had on him. “That experience and getting through it made me a better baseball player,” he mentioned.
Gray isn’t alone in expressing his feelings about the Yankees after moving to Boston. Just months ago, Aroldis Chapman, a former Yankees closer, stated he would rather retire than return to the team.
“No way, I’m not even dead,” he said on a podcast, translating from Spanish. “If I was told I was being traded to New York, I would pack up and go home. If that happened, I would retire right then and there. I’m not crazy. I’d never do it again.”
The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox added an exciting chapter during the 2025 postseason. The Yankees triumphed over Boston in Game 3, thanks to a stellar performance by rookie starter Cam Schrittler, who stirred the pot by taunting opposing fans afterward.
Tensions seem to be escalating as the offseason progresses.
