With the winter meetings just around the bend, the free-agent market is starting to take shape post-qualifying offers and extensions. The New York Yankees will undoubtedly be a big player in this year’s free agency period, with star pitcher Gerrit Cole, formerly of the Houston Astors, preparing to go to the highest bidder.
The Yankees have a unique advantage, though — money. Their recent caution in regards to breaking the luxury tax has subsided, and they are now keen on bringing in a top option to fortify a World Series caliber team.
As general manager Brian Cashman stated during the GM meetings, it’s quite hard to improve a 103-win team. The reality is, he’s right, especially with Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery preparing to make a comeback full-time in 2020.
However, adding a player of Cole’s quality would immediately improve the team as a whole. The Astros ace finished 2019 with a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts and a 0.895 WHIP, all career-highs. He’s in line to win the Cy Young Award for the American League, which would boost his stock even further.
How much will the New York Yankees have to pay?
The expectation is that Cole will land a deal upwards of $30 million per season and an overall payment of $200 million (multi-year). The Yankees not only have the cash on hand, but they also have time, according to an MBL Network reporter:
“I think they are the frontrunner for Gerrit Cole more than any other team out there because they have the ability to spend money and they have the ability to wait as long as it’s going to take for him to sign,†Jim Duquette said Tuesday during an interview with SNY.
Cashman also reinforced his interest in the top two pitchers (Cole and Stephen Strasburg), also mentioned “some surprise guys” as potential options. It seems as if the Bombers are finally ready to invest beyond their comfort, but they have the pieces in place to make a run at the World Series next season already. Adding any other superstars would only increase their probability of winning it all.