Not everyone wants to wake up in the city that never sleeps.
Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray has returned to the American League East as a member of the Boston Red Sox, acquired last week in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Introduced to the media Tuesday morning, the former New York Yankee reflected on his turbulent tenure in The Bronx and emphasized his excitement to be on the other side of sports’ most historic rivalry.
“I never wanted to go there in the first place” said Graywho waived his no-trade clause to join the Red Sox.
“It feels good for me to go to a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees.”
The Yankees acquired Gray, now 36, from the Oakland Athletics less than an hour before the trade deadline in 2017.
The former All-Star was gone after the following season, shipped to the Cincinnati Reds after posting a brutal 4.51 ERA over 34 starts in Pinstripes.
He signed a three-year extension with the Reds and quickly regained his top form in the Queen City, delivering a dominant 2019 campaign that saw him finish seventh in the Cy Young voting.
Gray then spent several seasons with the Minnesota Twins before landing with the Cardinals, and he finished his second year with St. Louis with a 4.28 ERA with 201 strikeouts across 32 starts.
He admitted to reporters on Tuesday that he appreciated his time with the Yankees, despite the disappointing experience.
“I’ve been a better baseball player, husband, everything from having that experience to living through it,” he said.
Gray isn’t the first former Yankee to express his distaste for the franchise after joining their biggest rival.
Just a few months ago, flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman — who spent parts of seven seasons in New York from 2016 to 2022 — claimed he would rather hang up his cleats than return to the club.
‘No way, not even dead’ Chapman said on a podcastas translated from Spanish. “If I was told I was going to be traded to New York, I would pack up and go home. If that happens, I’ll retire immediately. I’m not crazy. Never again.”
The Yankees and Red Sox added another exciting chapter to their storied rivalry during the 2025 postseason, when the Bronx Bombers eliminated Boston in Game 3 behind a dazzling performance from Massachusetts-born rookie starter Cam Schlittler – who added fuel to the fire by trolling opposing fans in the ensuing weeks.
It appears the tension has continued to escalate in the early stages of the offseason.
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