In December, when the Red Sox pulled off a blockbuster trade for Chris Sale, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called them "the Golden State Warriors of baseball now," and referred to Boston's starting rotation of Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez as "their Durant and Green and Thompson and Curry."

And so, eight months later, when the Yankees landed right-hander Sonny Gray at the trade deadline on Monday -- after acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier, relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, and starter Jaime Garcia earlier this month -- Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski returned the compliment, and then some.

"You mean the Golden State Warriors?" Dombrowski said when asked for a reaction to the Yankees' big deal. "Yeah, I think the Golden State Warriors have significantly made some moves. I expected it. I would've been surprised if they didn't. But I think Brian probably has made them the Golden State Warriors and we're the significant underdogs, when I'm listening to the MLB Network. I would anticipate, like he said earlier in the year that he didn't know how the Red Sox would lose a game, I think it'll be the same. I don't know how they'll lose a game right now. They made some good moves. They made their club significantly better."