Sonny Gray: 'It's easy to hate the Yankees' playing for Red Sox - ESPN

Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray apparently is looking forward to taking on his new team's biggest rival, saying he is happy to be in «a place where it's easy to hate the Yankees.»

The Red Sox acquired the well-traveled Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals last week, adding the durable pitcher to a starting rotation that was thin on options during Boston's postseason ouster in New York.

Gray already is familiar with the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry after spending parts of two seasons in the Bronx earlier in his career, and the three-time All-Star didn't mince words when discussing his experience in New York.

«It just wasn't a good situation for me,» Gray told reporters Tuesday. «It wasn't a great setup for me and my family. I never wanted to go there in the first place.»

That clearly wasn't the case for Gray with the Red Sox, who needed the right-hander to waive his no-trade clause to complete their deal with the Cardinals.

«What did factor into 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,» he said. «It's easy to go out and have that rivalry and go into it with full force, full steam ahead. I like the challenge.»

Gray struggled to a 4.51 ERA — nearly a full run higher than his career numbers — during his 41-game run with the Yankees in 2017 and 2018. New York acquired Gray in a blockbuster deal with the Athletics only to trade him less than 18 months later to the Cincinnati Reds, where he began reviving his career.

«When that was happening, and we were in Oakland and getting traded — that was a long time ago — I never wanted to go [to New York],» Gray said. «So then I was there, and it just didn't really work for who I am.… I just wasn't