Gray: Good to be with Red Sox because 'it's easy to hate' Yankees

Newly acquired Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray is motivated by returning to the AL East to once again participate in the long-standing feud between Boston and the New York Yankees.

"It feels good to me to go to a place now where it's easy to hate the Yankees," Gray told MLB Network on Tuesday. "It's easy to go out and have that rivalry and go in it with full force, full steam ahead. I like the challenge. I appreciate the challenge. I accept the challenge. But this time around, it's just go out and be yourself. ... If people don't like it, it is what is."

The Red Sox landed Gray in a three-player trade with the St. Louis Cardinals last week. The 36-year-old has been dealt three times, including a July 2017 move that shipped him from the Athletics to the Yankees.

Gray authored the worst numbers of his 13-year career while pitching for New York for part of 2017 and the 2018 season. He posted a 4.51 ERA with 1.41 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 over 195 2/3 innings (34 starts).

"New York, it just wasn't a good situation for me," Gray said. "It wasn't a great setup for me and my family. I never wanted to go there in the first place."

The three-time All-Star owns a career 6.06 ERA with a 1.64 WHIP and 7.7 K/9 across 101 innings at Yankee Stadium.