To the baseball world, Sonny Grey’s commerce from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Boston Purple Sox could have appeared prefer it got here out of nowhere.
However to the veteran right-hander who has worn Athletics, Yankees, Reds, Twins, and Cardinals uniforms in his 13-year main league profession, it felt virtually fated, which is why he waived his no-trade clause and gave an “quick sure.”
Grey nonetheless has a lot he desires to perform on the mound. A ballclub thought-about to be on the cusp of returning to elite, contending kind is an interesting touchdown spot for such a participant.
After the Cardinals’ elimination from playoff rivalry in late September ‘24, he and Chaim Bloom, now St. Louis’ president of baseball operations, had a “very clear” dialogue concerning the membership’s course: full rebuild mode. Grey, who turned 36 on Nov. 7 and had a contract by ‘26 with a ‘27 membership choice, didn’t really feel he might play the ready sport.
“I simply expressed that, you already know, I believe it will most likely be helpful for me and my household and my future to perhaps go to a unique state of affairs, a unique group that could be going just a little bit extra all-in for the following yr or two and attempting to win a World Sequence,” Grey mentioned in his first videoconference with Boston media. “That’s type of simply the place I’m at in my profession and in my life … making a deep run within the postseason and successful a World Sequence is certainly a type of issues that I haven’t been capable of accomplish.”
“It’s just about one of many solely issues that’s persevering with to push me, persevering with to be higher on this sport, is to get to a World Sequence, to win a World Sequence, to pitch in massive video games,” Grey added. “I like the second, and I’m chasing that second … I additionally love competing. I like pitching.”
The Sunday earlier than Thanksgiving, Bloom referred to as Grey and instructed him that they had a deal “virtually to the end line,” if he could be keen to waive his no-trade clause.
“He mentioned the Purple Sox, and I instantly in my head was like, sure,” Grey mentioned.
Grey sees Boston because the type of environment through which he desires to pitch, and he sees the Purple Sox as a membership that may go the space.
“Boston simply checked all of the bins for me,” he mentioned. “That could be a state of affairs that I really feel snug in. And that’s essential to me.”
Grey listed Boston’s ace lefty, Garrett Crochet, as one of many attracts to becoming a member of the crew. The position-player core, which he described as “younger, hungry, but in addition able to take off,” was one other. The response from members of his new group, together with supervisor Alex Cora, offered him yet again.
“It’s only a nice state of affairs, and now we have an opportunity to win a World Sequence, and now we have an opportunity to make a deep playoff run, and I simply need to be part of it,” he mentioned. “There’s been so many gamers, coaches – there’s been so many individuals attain out, which is has type of been refreshing, to be trustworthy with you. It’s been very welcoming, and I’ve appreciated that. It means quite a bit.”
However for Grey, turning into a Purple Sox goes deeper and additional again than all of this.
It was evident the second he logged onto the videoconference with a 2007 World Sequence cap on his head.
“I purchased this hat as quickly as I obtained traded over to Boston … I went purchasing instantly, obtained shirts, we obtained hats, we obtained all the things,” he mentioned. “I’m extra of a Boston man than something.”
A shocking declaration for a Nashville native, maybe, however Grey’s Purple Sox connections run deep.
“It began early,” Grey mentioned, recalling how he would watch the Purple Sox on tv as just a little boy. “It’s not simply popping out of my mouth simply because, ‘Oh you’re with the Purple Sox now.’ ”
The Inexperienced Monster was at all times “a particular factor,” to Grey, even earlier than his three years of school ball at Vanderbilt College, the place the Commodores’ Hawkins Area has a duplicate Inexperienced Monster and the adorned head coach is Tim Corbin, a New Hampshire native and lifelong Purple Sox fan.
“We performed ‘Candy Caroline’ after the seventh inning, my complete profession at Vanderbilt,” Grey recalled. “(Corbin’s) been Purple Sox by and thru.”
Corbin grew up idolizing Carl Yastrzemski, then coached his grandson, Mike Yastrzemski. The Purple Sox drafted Captain Carl’s grandson out of highschool in 2009, however he opted to develop into considered one of Corbin’s Commodores, as an alternative.
And Grey’s roommate.
“Mike Yastrzemski’s considered one of my greatest buddies,” he mentioned, “and nonetheless are very shut. Went on a visit collectively two weeks in the past.”
“So after I say like, I’m extra Boston than every other place, there’s quite a bit that goes into that,” he mentioned.
