The New York Yankees are reportedly all in on star pitcher Gerrit Cole this offseason, especially after meeting with him in Southern California on Tuesday afternoon. The former Houston Astros ace presents the best pitching option this offseason and will earn upwards of $30+ million per season in free agency.
Yankees meet with top target Gerrit Cole in SoCal today. They are all in. But having been rebuffed after drafting him and offering basically a blank check (he went to UCLA instead), they are very concerned he may prefer Angels and Dodgers. NYY will meet w/Strasburg tomorrow.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 3, 2019
With general manager Brian Cashman’s willingness to push past the luxury tax threshold, Cole has become a legitimate option for the Bombers. Considering their early pursuance, it’s likely the Yankees are willing to offer him a huge deal, which would give the team one of the best starting pitching rotations int he MLB as soon as ink touches paper.
The New York Yankees rotation would look like this:
- Gerrit Cole
- Luis Severino
- James Paxton
- Masahiro Tanaka
- Jordan Montgomery
- Domingo German
- J.A. Happ
- Michael King/Deivi Garcia
This would give the team one established ace and a player in Severino that has the quality to reach that level. Paxton and Tanaka are both reliable arms who pitched exceptionally well during the postseason. Beyond the first four, Montgomery and German are still developing but have shown No. 2 potential in their young careers.
Who met with Gerrit Cole?
The NY Post reported that Cashman, Aaron Boone, and new pitching coach Matt Blake were among the people participating in the meeting, which also included Cole and his wife, Amy. The Yankees are expected to meet with Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday, and it doesn’t seem as if owner Hal Steinbrenner is holding back from leaving a blank check in front of Cole.
The Yankees have been on the hunt for Cole for the better side of a decade. After picking him 28th overall in 2008, the former Astro elected to take his talents to UCLA. The Yanks attempted to lure Cole in after the 2017 season, but Houston’s offer enticed the Pittsburg Pirates. The current scenario presents the best chance for the Bombers to lure Cole to the Bronx.