When the golden gates of free agency began to crack this offseason, the New York Yankees planted their foot in the dirt, preparing for the ensuing battle that would determine the future of the starting pitching rotation.
Will Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg end up wearing Pinstripes in 2020? Some believed the Yankees were front-runners, but that reality is quickly coming to a close as the Astros star prefers the West Coast, and the World Series-winning arm is intrigued by a return to the Washington Nations.
Despite their preferences, the Athletic reports that the Yankees met/will meet with both aces in California, who are represented by super-agent Scott Boras.
The Yankees must consider investing heavily into their starting pitching rotation:
Starting pitching must be a significant focus for the Bombers this offseason, they must find a quality arm to supplement the loss of CC Sabathia and suspension to Domingo German. Cole and Strasburg remain options, but the Yankees will have to part way with major bucks to land either of the two.
Alternatively, they could target former Met, Zack Wheeler, who fits the Yankees bill well as a hard-throwing pitcher. He consistently throws in the 97MPH range with his fastball, and while his sinker (secondary pitch) isn’t elite, it’s still sufficient to a degree.
Nonetheless, if general manager Brian Cashman is willing to surpass the luxury tax without caution, offering Cole a substantial deal should be a priority. He will likely earn $200+ million on a multi-year deal worth over $30+ million per season. Strasburg will land a bit lower, but his injury concerns make him a less productive choice. If the price isn’t a deterrent for Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner, Cole is the easy decision to make.
“Let me just say all options are open as far as I am concerned,†Hal Steinbrenner told the YES Network last month in an interview that was released on Monday. “Anything that rolls across my desk I am going to be looking at real seriously. We are going to be active in the free-agent market.â€