ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - When Sonny Gray made his first public appearance as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals way back in late November, one thing he said he was going to bring to a pitching staff that was one of the worst in the National League was an 'edge' they didn't have in 2023.
"If you want to talk about someone who takes the ball and has an edge, you'll see it." said Gray back in November at his introductory press conference.
Spring Training is less than a month away, with Cardinals pitchers and catchers set to have their first workouts on Feb. 14 in Jupiter, Florida. While there's still bit of time before all pitchers of the Cardinals 40-man roster and non-roster invitees are set to formally gather, some of Gray's new teammates are already seeing the "edge" he is bringing to his new teammates.
"I had a chance to throw with Sonny the other day in Nashville," said Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz at Cardinals Winter Warm Up, who also lives in Nashville during the off-season. "He's a bulldog, he's loves baseball and he's already bringing ideas and just talking during the winter workouts."
One idea that Matz said Gray wanted to bring is have all the starters converge and watching a bullpen session of the starter.
"He really values the starters watching each others bullpens," said Matz, "This way, as we're sitting in the dugout, you can bounce stuff off guys and he told me how important that was to him. He likes talking baseball."
Some players have already heard a few things about Gray and told KMOX that they couldn't wait to be around him in Spring Training.
"I faced (Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson) and I didn't like facing them," said catcher Willson Contreras. "It wasn't fun facing them, especially Sonny who we know is a really good pitcher and has a really good pitching (arsenal)."
"With him, Gibson and Lynn, those three guys alone have so much experience and the experience they bring from other organizations along the way," said Drew Rom, who got his first taste of the major leagues with the Cardinals last season. "With Sonny, he's going to be a game changer, and they're going to help the younger pitchers."
Gray discussed about that edge a bit during Winter Warm Up, citing not only his love for baseball, but also a desire for continued high performance. That search is why he always wants to learn, stemming from the highs and lows of his baseball career, experiencing the tough winning environment at Vanderbilt and personal experience.
"I want to learn, I want to continue to get better." said Gray to KMOX's Matt Pauley. "So how can I get better? By asking questions, listen to someone's advice or input and if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you but at least you know."
Despite the edge that Gray wants to bring to the Cardinals, he also wants to make sure the team is having fun.
"I am very structured, but I like to have fun," said Gray. "There's time to work and there's time to have play and there's definitely time for both. They both go hand in hand. The more you are having fun, the more you are smiling, the better you are going to be. But there's also time to lock it in and get your stuff done."