The New York Yankees are preparing to unload a massive contract for a premium-level starting pitcher. Whether it be Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg that ends up being lured the Bronx, there’s a favorite out of the two, in fact, there should only be one option for GM Brian Cashman.
With both meetings between the two top free agent arms going well, Cole needs to be prioritized at all costs, despite his price-tag, which doesn’t seem to be a problem for Cashman. Owner Hal Steinbrenner stated that all deals coming across his desk would be considered. He even mentioned the starting pitching rotation as a focus this offseason, making the likelihood of adding a bonafide ace much more probable.
However, they should avoid Strasburg’s services for one primary reason. He’s an injury risk. Over the last three seasons, Cole has played in far more games that Strasburg, which is where the investment begins to earn its value. From 2017-19, the former National pitched in 83 games, while Cole has played in 98 games. Over that same span of seasons, Strasburg has a stellar 3.19 ERA, easily making him one of the best in baseball, but the smaller sample size than Cole only attests to how dominant he is. Comparably, Cole has a 3.22 ERA with 15 more games pitched. Factoring in fatigue and late-season outings, the consistency from Cole is impressive.
It’s also important to consider his final season with the Pirates was his worst with a 4.26 ERA. Once he made a move to a better team in the Astros, he averaged a 2.69 ERA over two seasons.
So, we can see the differences between Cole and Strasburg, especially regarding the health factor. The Yankees have been pursuing Cole for the better part of a decade, and after losing him to UCLA in 2008 and the Astors three years ago, they’re not prepared to lose him for a third team. You know what they say, “third time is a charm!”
Nonetheless, if the Bombers are willing to unload an investment significant enough to bring in Strasburg, they should go for the home run and do everything necessary to convince Cole that the Bronx should be his new home.
EXTRA:
MLB.com stated regarding Strasburg’s meeting with the Yankees:
The meeting with Strasburg is said to have gone well, too, per a source. They talked the New York market, the team and its philosophy as the Yankees gave the pitcher an extensive view of the organization. Exact dollars weren’t discussed, but the pitching market was certainly referenced.