Why the Yankees should prioritize Gerrit Cole over Stephen Strasburg

New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole
Oct 15, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of game three of the 2019 ALCS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Health, consistency, preference, you name it, and former Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole probably has it. The New York Yankees have to make the conscious decision to pursue a premium arm this offseason, and general manager Brian Cashman ignited the fire beneath the free-agent market on Monday.

“We’re certainly going to be talking to all players,” the Yankees’ GM said at the first day of Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings. “Of course, we’re going to have to talk to [Stephen] Strasburg. We’ll talk to [Gerrit] Cole. We’ll talk to the higher-end guys, clearly, and have conversations there, and we’ll also talk about some surprise guys, I’m sure.

“Our staff will get together, whether it’s dealing with agents, dealing with clubs. It takes two to tango, so it’s hard to predict. Of course anyone would have an interest in players like that.”

The Yankees have a solid starting rotation even without adding a top arm. Still, the reinforcement of Cole or Strasburg would undoubtedly give the Bombers an advantage over just about any other team.

Imagine this starting rotation:

  1. Gerrit Cole/Stephen Strasburg
  2. Luis Severino
  3. James Paxton
  4. Masahiro Tanaka
  5. J.A. Happ
  6. Jordan Montgomery
  7. Domingo German
  8. Michael King/Deivi Garcia

Having so many quality options would improve the Yankees’ chances of reaching the World Series for the first time in over a decade. Owner Hal Steinbrenner mentioned a lack of run support as the primary reason the team faltered in the ALCS, but starting pitching always factors into the conversation.

Why Gerrit Cole is the better option for the New York Yankees:

If Cashman is willing to splash the cash on a big-name free agent pitcher, they might as well go after the best on the market. Earning a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts in 2019, both career-highs, Cole is undoubtedly the best on the market, and if the monetary differential is only a few million, grabbing the better of the top two should be an easy decision to make.

It also seems as if Cashman is willing to surpass the $208 million luxury-tax threshold. Cashman refused to dive into the team’s payroll, but the expectation is that upper management will give him the go-ahead to exceed the luxury tax if it means building a World Series quality team.