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 2⅔ innings to the Orioles on Aug. 1, and in the nine weeks that followed, he pitched a total of nine times, for just 26⅔ innings.

Gray is 29 years old and apparently in excellent health, and yet it was like he was placed in 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. Ed Whitson is the most-cited example, but there have been plenty of others, and the Yankees determined this was Gray's issue. It seems Gray might have reached that conclusion as well.

General manager Brian Cashman has made no secret that he's going to move the right-hander.