The Yankees Are Reportedly Making Gerrit Cole a 'Priority' This Offseason As Brian Cashman Gets Ready To Meet With Him And Boras Over The Next Two Days
The Gerrit Cole sweepstakes are starting to accelerate. The Stephen Strasburg sweepstakes, too. The two free-agent pitchers, both represented by Scott Boras, will continue to meet with teams in California this week in advance of next week’s winter meetings, according to major-league sources.
The Yankees will sit down with both Cole and Strasburg over the next two days, sources said. Other interested teams already have met with or will meet with the two pitchers, who are widely viewed as the best starters in this year’s free-agent class.
It's happening. December is here. Winter has arrived. The Major League Baseball offseason is here. Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg are out in California, with their mega star sports agent Scott Boras, meeting with teams that are begging them to sign with their baseball franchise. Enter Brian Cashman.
I'll always have Cashman's back. The man is a wizard. The guy has been doing this with the Yankees since 1998. A general manager lasting that long in any sport is crazy town. Doing that in New York is as close to impossible as it gets. He seems to have mastered the bargain market when it comes to hitters. Just recently he's found diamonds in the rough like DJ LeMahieu, Luke Voit, Mike Tauchman, and Gio Urshela. Four guys who were after thoughts/not even given a real chance proved over the last year+ that they belong in an everyday contending lineup. Those guys will be impact players next year and years after hopefully for New York. The one blemish on Cashman's ledger has been pitching. His inability to go out and trade for a stud pitcher has always troubled him. James Paxton seems fine as of now, especially with Justus Sheffield's bleak future, but we'll still have to wait and see. His second half and postseason were both promising, but consistency and health are two big unknowns with him moving forward.
He's had success when dropping his nuts in free agency before. CC Sabathia (7 yr $161 mill) and Masahiro Tanaka (7 yr $155 mill) were both incredible signings. Don't tell me signing guys to long-term deals isn't worth it. Both those pitchers lived up to those deals as far as I'm concerned.
Right now the Yankees are heading into the 2020 season with a starting rotation of Luis Severino - James Paxton - Masahiro Tanaka - Jordan Montgomery - Mike King/Clarke Schmidt/JA Happ. Domingo German's investigation is still going on so you just have no idea where he fits, if at all with this team.
Forget 2020, let's look further into the future. Tanaka's 7 year deal expires after this upcoming season. James Paxton will be a free agent after 2020 as well. JA Happ has a vested option for 2021 that will get triggered if he starts 27 games or throws 165 innings. I don't see either of those things happening in 2020. If that's the case the Yankees will lose 60% of their starting rotation after next season. Signing Gerrit Cole isn't just important for the win-now 2020 New York Yankees. It's vital for the future of this starting rotation. If you sign Cole that gives you Severino and Cole for the next 5-7 years and dominance at the front of the starting rotation. Something similar to what the Astros did for the last 3 years. Every postseason series would lead off with those weapons. Gerrit Cole is everything the Yankees have been missing for the last 5 years. A guy to take the ball and immediately instill fear into the eyes of the hitters. It also alleviates pressure from Sevy to carry the rotation which I think would benefit him immensely. As I've said for YEARS, ever since the Yankees were first rumored to trade for him back in his Pittsburgh days, Gerrit Cole is Roger Clemens 2.0. I've never been right about anyone more in my life than I was about Gerrit Cole. I wanted this man so badly a few years ago. I would have done whatever it took back then to get the deal done. He has all the makings of being the most dominant pitcher of the next decade and cementing his spot in Cooperstown. Bring him to me.
As Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, and Matt Blake head to California to meet with the big boys, things feel different than the last few offseasons. The Yankees never met with Bryce Harper. Didn't even entertain the thought of bringing him to the Bronx. They didn't feel like his personality meshed with their culture. They tried with Machado, but ended up bringing DJ LeMahieu into our lives and I don't see a single person complaining about that. Corbin was brought in, but the Nats went over the top with their offer. Even after seeing the Nats win the World Series, I don't fault the Yankees for refusing to go to $140 million. Zack Wheeler is out there in free agent land and feels like the Yankees perfect second tier pitcher to disappoint fans with. The Yankees haven't said a word to him or his team. They're after bigger fish. One in particular. Cole. They've come out and said he's their priority. Something they don't usually do.
The Yankees are again making him a priority, sources said. The question is whether Cole, a native of Newport Beach, Ca., would prefer a comparable deal from a west-coast team such as the Angels. Former Astros teammate Josh Reddick predicted during the season that Cole would sign with a team “west of Nevada.”
What this will come down is location vs. winning. Cole grew up in California. Does he value pitching in sunshine and warmth over pitching for a perennial contender? I believe, even if the Yankees don't sign Cole, they will enter 2020 as the odds on favorite to win the World Series. The Astros will be worse just based on subtraction. Boston will be worse after their fire sale. It's the Yankees World Series to lose. If they add Gerrit Cole the odds will soar. They'll enter 2020 as the true Evil Empire. Them against the world. The "Fuck You" Yankees will be back. Gerrit Cole will never get that kind of chance with the Angels. Sure they'll have Ohtani and Trout, but that team isn't winning the World Series. Maybe they'll make the postseason a few times, but truly contending every year isn't realistic.
At the end of the day, Brian Cashman and the Yankees have no excuse here. If you're not going to abide by any luxury tax mandate then this is the time to break the bank for a starting pitcher. It's now or never. If they don't spend the money this year, they never will. My plead to Cashman is to bring us Gerrit Cole. Be a hero. Get me 28.
I said I wouldn't let myself get hurt anymore, but I'm in too deep. Fuck.
P.S. I'm under the assumption Strasburg heads back to DC so I'm not really entertaining that idea right now.