When the Boston Red Sox traded for Sonny Gray on November 25, not all fans were thrilled with the move — after chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's assertions that he planned to address the top of the rotation, many fans and reporters were uncertain if Gray constitutes the No. 2 starter he sought.
But even after some initial disappointments and confusion, Gray has endeared himself to Sox fans during his introductory press conference. It didn't take long for him to address his tenure with the New York Yankees, and Red Sox Nation loved his responses (subscription required).
"What did factor in my decision to come to Boston... it feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it's easy to hate the Yankees. It's easy to go out and have that rivalry and go in it with full force" Gray said. "New York [just] wasn't a good situation for me, wasn't a great setup for me and my family. I never wanted to go there in the first place."
Gray suited up for the Yankees in the second half of the 2017 season and into 2018. He posted arguably the worst stretch of his career in pinstripes, with a 4.51 ERA, 1.416 WHIP, 182 strikeouts and 84 walks over 195.2 innings. He even lost his rotation spot to Lance Lynn, whom the Yankees initially traded for as a reliever for their playoff push.
Newest Red Sox Sonny Gray shares distaste for Yankees in his introductory presser, and Sox fans love it
Newest Red Sox Sonny Gray on his time with the Yankees:
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 2, 2025
“I never wanted to go there in the first place.”#MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/Nz3siNwUpL
Gray's comments have come at the right time for a Red Sox-Yankees rivalry that is seemingly back in full swing. Boston and New York met in the Wild Card round of the 2025 playoffs after the Red Sox dominated it in the regular. October didn't go the Sox's way, despite a dominant performance from Garrett Crochet in Game 1, and the Yankees beat them in a postseason series for the first time since 2003.
After he revealed his beef with the Yankees, it would be typical to see the Red Sox convert Gray back into one of the top pitchers in the league. Boston has taken many former Yankees who struggled or couldn't find a place in New York and turned them into stars, such as Carlos Narváez, Garrett Whitlock, Rob Refsnyder and Aroldis Chapman (who's had, arguably, the sweetest redemption of them all).
Gray's personal rivalry with the Yankees will help him fit right in with the Red Sox and Boston fans. Now more than ever, Sox fans can't wait to see Gray use his strikeout prowess against his former team, especially after Crochet also dominates them.