Veteran Pitcher Sonny Gray Weighs Retirement as Stellar Season Continues with Red Sox

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 01: Sonny Gray #55 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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After a midseason trade brought him to the New York Yankees with high expectations, the veteran right-hander struggled to find his footing in the Bronx and ultimately lost his spot in the rotation.

His two years with the Yankees marked a career low point, contrasting sharply with his All-Star selections and dominant stretches, as well as his current resurgence with their fiercest historic rival.

The Yankees eventually moved on from him, but before this season started, the polarizing pitcher made it clear he had no plans to retire.

Upon joining the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, Sonny Gray expressed lingering frustrations with the Yankees over his difficult tenure there.

“It just wasn’t a good situation for me,” Gray told reporters at the time, per ESPN. “It wasn’t a great setup for me and my family. I never wanted to go there in the first place.”

Gray added that he welcomed the opportunity to face his former team while pitching for their hated rival.

“What factored into my decision to come to Boston — it feels good to go to a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees,” he said, quickly becoming an outspoken antagonist of his former club in New York City.

At 36, Gray has delivered one of the best seasons of his career in his first year with Boston. Through 26 starts, he entered the final weeks of the regular season with a 17-5 record, a 2.76 ERA, 140 strikeouts, and a 1.16 WHIP over more than 156 innings.

Even as Gray continues to shine for the Yankees’ rival, he made it clear he would be open to retiring at any time, including this winter when he hits free agency.

“I’ll be done in a heartbeat,” the pitcher told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, explaining how quickly he would end his career if his family asked him to.

The veteran pitcher also noted that he would be content to end his career during this ongoing Red Sox season.

“We’ll see what the future holds for me,” Gray added. “But if this is it, there’s no better way to go out and try to do something special over the next couple of months.”

For a pitcher who once endured a frustrating chapter in New York, finishing his career by leading Boston into October would provide a remarkable final act.

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