After Sonny Gray was dropped from the Yankees' rotation in early August, he was basically placed on double-secret probation -- except because he played in New York, it wasn't really a secret. Gray allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings to the Orioles on Aug. 1, and in the nine weeks that followed, he pitched a total of nine times, for just 26 2/3 innings.
Gray is 29 years old and apparently in excellent health, and yet it was like he was placed in baseball bubble wrap and stowed away for the winter trade market. Through the years, the Yankees have seen examples of players who, for one reason or another, just weren't comfortable playing in the Big Apple.