The New York Yankees have a “total focus†mentality on signing star pitcher of Garrett Cole this off-season. However, complications were always going to arise and dampen the optimism surrounding a potential deal.
With the Washington nationals retaining Stephen Strasburg on a seven-year, $245 million contract, Cole is expected to eclipse that number by a large margin.
Super agent Scott Boras represents both pitchers, and it is expected that Cole will breach the $300 million mark on a multi-year deal. At 29 years old, the former Houston Astro is in the prime of his career and has minimal injury history. He is well worth every penny the Yankees are expected to offer, but according to Boras, two secret teams are entering the mix in the sweepstakes.
Boras said there are two new mystery teams in on Gerrit Cole.
— Bryan Hoch ?? (@BryanHoch) December 10, 2019
It was expected that the Yankees would have competition, especially with Cole growing up on the West Coast. Both the Angels and Dodgers remained suitors for his talents, despite the Yankees‘ willingness to offer far more money after missing out on him twice in the last ten years.
In 2008, the Yankees selected him in the MLB draft just for him to elect to attend UCLA. In 2017, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded him to the Houston Astros over a solid Yankees offer.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner has given general manager Brian Cashman the green light to offer him a substantial amount of money, which will inevitably put the Bombers over the luxury tax threshold. Adding them to an already solid starting pitching rotation will give the Yankees a much higher probability of success in 2020 and a great shot at winning a World Series.