Sonny Gray has always seemed to prefer the comforts of a less-intense midwestern baseball environment. Now, he'll get a chance to see the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry from the other side and decide if he likes it any better.
Gray, the Yankees' major deadline acquisition during the summer of 2017, was essentially his normal self down the stretch that year before losing the shape of his pitches (at Larry Rothschild's urging) in a lost follow-up campaign. The relationship became untenable. He smirked through the pain, fully aware at every turn that he'd bounce back someday and the Yankees would live to regret their tinkering.