David Ortiz’s Old Sonny Gray Comments Resurface After Red Sox Trade

The Boston Red Sox made their first major move of the offseason on Tuesday when they reportedly acquired Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. While some folks are a bit confused by the move, one guy who is likely a fan of the deal is franchise legend David Ortiz.

While Ortiz retired after the 2016 season, he matched up against Gray several times early in his career when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics. In 2015, when Ortiz was discussing the toughest pitchers he faced in his career, he included Gray on that list.

“The first time I see this Gray kid on the mound, I can’t help but notice he’s 5’10” and skinny,” Ortiz wrote for The Players Tribune back in 2015. “He looks like the guy who fixes my computer at the Apple Store. I’m thinking, ‘Here we go. This is gonna be fun.’

“Then he took me for a ride, man. Fastball. Sinker. Slider. Curve … Whap. Whap. Whap. You have no idea what this kid is going to throw. He drives me crazy.”

Back when Ortiz made these comments, Gray was in only the third year of his career. Now, he’s preparing for his 14th season, and he’s accomplished quite a bit over the course of his career, earning three All-Star selections and a pair of top-three finishes in the Cy Young Award race.

Considering how much success Ortiz had throughout his career at the plate, this was high praise for Gray, especially since it was still very early in his career. Now, Ortiz will be hoping Gray can deliver the goods for Boston after getting picked up in this big trade.