Boston Red Sox starter Sonny Gray was furious about getting pulled from Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series after 70 pitches, who can blame him? Gray aired out his frustrations in his postgame interview, and fans understandably interpreted the remarks as an indicator that Gray isn't high on Chad Tracy or the idea of playing for the Red Sox ever again.
But maybe, just maybe, we all overreacted to Gray's comments, which were surely made while his inner rage was still at a boiling point. For what it's worth, we learned on Monday that Tracy has spoken with Gray since Boston's elimination. There is still a "fine" relationship there, according to Tracy.
It's not a ringing endorsement or a sign that Tracy and Gray are best buds, but Tracy also expressed empathy and understanding for Gray's anger over being pulled. In essence, Tracy is saying all the right things and seemingly doing all the right things behind closed doors to assuage Gray.
Red Sox skipper Chad Tracy is doing the right things to salvage Sonny Gray relationship
It's also notable that Tracy took complete ownership of the decision to pull Gray during this same press conference. When it came to the topic of the Tracy-Gray relationship, Tracy reminded the press of something about itself — that the media tends to paint things with bias or blow things out of proportion.
"Five months of relationship building with players, and I think there’s some things, they get painted sometimes [from the outside], that [the decision] stained it or ruined it. It’s like, no, I have a very good working relationship with [Gray]," Tracy said. "[The relationship] is in a fine place while also understanding his feelings on it.”
Chad Tracy says he has talked with Sonny Gray, understands his feelings on getting pulled in Game 2, has a good working relationship with him. pic.twitter.com/7l581j3ZKM
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) October 5, 2026
Gray or no Gray, Tracy is set up to be Boston's manager through the 2029 season. It sounds like he's done a good job in this case of reaching out to and communicating with his disgruntled player while also maintaining the reality that no one is above the team or how Tracy decides to manage said team.
That being said, the 2027 Red Sox are probably better with Gray than without him, especially considering how valuable the right-hander was in 2026. It was one of Gray's best seasons of his entire career, and it couldn't have come at a better time for Boston. Gray operated as the Red Sox's de facto ace for much of the year while Garrett Crochet was on the injured list.
The money side of this, plus Gray's age (37 in November), adds complexity to Boston's offseason. Gray's current deal features a $30 million mutual option for next season with a $10 million buyout. He's also been totally transparent about potentially retiring. If Gray decides to keep playing, however, Tracy's planting the seeds of relationship repair so that a divorce may be a bit less likely.
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