Sonny Gray: “In Boston it’s easy to hate the Yankees and I love that challenge”

BOSTON. – Right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray expressed feeling fully identified with the competitive culture of the Red Sox, assuring that his arrival in Boston represents a new beginning in his career and an opportunity to fully embrace the historic rivalry with the New York Yankees.

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During a video conference with the media this Tuesday, Gray did not hide his enthusiasm for joining the organization and for what it means to compete from “the other side” of the most emblematic confrontation in American baseball.

“What influenced my decision to come to Boston was that feeling of belonging. Here it’s easy to hate the Yankees and live the rivalry intensely. I like that challenge,” said the pitcher.

Gray knows the New York environment well: he arrived at the Yankees in the 2017 season from Oakland as part of a four-player trade. However, his stay was not the best, recording an ERA of 4.51 in 41 games before being moved to Cincinnati.

Reflecting on that period, Gray was direct:

“I never wanted to go there in the first place. It just didn’t work for who I am, or for my family. But I value that experience because it helped me become a better player and a better person.”

Since leaving New York, Gray has resurfaced strongly, including a stellar campaign in 2023 with the Twins, when he finished second in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award. In his own words, those later years have been more productive in every way.

“When I left I thought: ‘It just wasn’t me.’ I felt I wasn’t allowed to go out on the field and be Sonny.”

Now, with Boston, the veteran right-hander is ready to bring leadership, stability, and competitiveness to a rotation that seeks to strengthen itself for next season.