Sonny Gray’s name got dragged into a cheating frenzy during Wild Card Game 2 against the New York Yankees, but MLB’s handling of the situation says the noise never had much behind it.
Gray was sharp before Chad Tracy lifted him in the fifth inning, even though he had allowed only one run to that point. Boston’s bullpen then unraveled, and the Red Sox lost their grip on the game from there. While that was happening, fans online fixated on brown flecks on the right side of Gray’s neck, on the same side as his pitching arm, and the speculation took off fast despite the fact that he passed every in-game hand and glove check from the umpires.
Chris Cotillo reported on October 6 that MLB investigated Gray over possible use of illegal substances. But because Gray has not been formally disciplined by the league and cleared those in-game examinations, Cotillo’s view is that he is in the clear.
The substance in question also never looked like pine tar. Pine tar usually shows up in dark, glossy smears on helmets and bats, and when Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was ejected in April 2024 for using it, he had rubbed it on his neck before the game to help his grip. What appeared on Gray’s neck was not a clean, even smear like that.
There’s another practical reason the accusations don’t hold much water: if something sticky had been on Gray’s neck and he kept touching it before nearly every batter, it would have transferred to his hands when he gave them to umpires for inspection after each inning.
And the neck touch itself wasn’t some new tell. Gray has been seen making that same swipe on the side of his neck countless times. Using sweat to make rosin tackier is a legal trick pitchers around the league have used for years.
The bigger picture is that Gray spent the season pitching like Boston’s ace. He posted a 2.72 ERA across 169 innings, and he was even better against the Yankees, putting up a 1.98 ERA in two starts. That doesn’t exactly read like a pitcher who needed outside help to get through games.
Gray is heading toward free agency, and the Sox will miss him in their 2027 rotation. He was the lone right-hander in the staff, and his 18 wins matched Garrett Crochet’s total in 2025. Both were major stabilizers for Boston over full seasons.
His Red Sox run didn’t end smoothly, though. Gray was unhappy with Tracy’s decision to pull him so early in the game. Still, if Boston wants to bring him back, it can do so knowing the playoff cheating chatter didn’t amount to anything.
In Other News...
Red Sox Still Have One Unsettled Infield Situation Heading Into 2027
Bostons end-of-season health check brought some clarity on a few important names, even if the bigger roster picture still has some unfinished business heading toward spring. Caleb Durbins pinkie issue remains without a clear diagnosis, and surgery is still on the table, while Garrett Crochet said he is fully healthy as he heads into the offseason after a careful recovery from a shoulder injury.
Curtis Mead, meanwhile, has been medically cleared and is in the mix for the starting second-base job when camp opens. For the Red Sox, that keeps one of the infields most watched questions in play heading into 2027, with Meads role still waiting to be defined even as the medical side of the conversation has started to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Still Have One Roster Flaw They Can't Keep Ignoring
The Red Sox are heading into the offseason with a roster issue that has lingered long enough to shape how they approach everything else: they need more right-handed power. Recent trades have already been aimed at easing that problem, but the front office does not appear close to being done, especially with a winter ahead that could still reshape both the lineup and the organizational depth chart.
Andrew Goodman, Jarren Duran and prospects such as Franklin Arias are all part of the broader conversation as Boston weighs how aggressive it wants to be. Positional changes could also enter the mix, and there are at least some buy-low trade ideas floating around, including names like Adolis Garca and Juan Soto, which shows how wide the field could get before the Red Sox settle on a real answer to the imbalance in their lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Lose A Veteran Bullpen Depth Piece After Frustrating Season
Bostons bullpen picture lost another experienced option when Seth Martinez chose free agency after finishing the 2026 season in the Red Sox organization. The six-year major league veteran had one appearance for Boston before he was designated for assignment and sent outright to Triple-A Worcester, where he spent the rest of the year trying to carve out a role.
Martinez now heads to the open market, leaving the Red Sox without a depth arm who had been around long enough to give the staff some organizational security. For a pitching group that is always balancing innings, injuries and churn, the move is another small reminder that the back end of the roster can change quickly once the season starts to slip away. [Read more 🡒]