The Yankees are clearly not playing any games with Gerrit Cole this offseason and have already offered him a historic contract for a starting pitcher.
According to Bob Klapisch of the New York Times, the New York Yankees have extended a contract offer to free-agent ace Gerrit Cole worth approximately seven-years, $245 million. If accepted, this would be a record-setting contract for a starting pitcher.
I'm told #Yankees have a seven-year, $245 million offer on the table for Gerrit Cole. Would be a record-setting contract for a pitcher, surpassing Greinke’s $34.4 million AAV. Question is whether #Dodgers or #Angels will go to 8-9 or even 10 years.
— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) December 8, 2019
Based on the information that has been circulating over the past couple of days about how the Yankees want to get this deal done as soon as possible, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gerrit Cole is in pinstripes by the end of the Winter Meetings this week.
It is important to keep note that since this is the Yankees’ first offer to Cole, this contract number could only go up from here, so it is possible the end value for Cole is over $250 million and he would be worth every penny of it. He is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in baseball and would solidify the Yankees rotation as legitimate. Pitching has always been the Yankees problem, so having an ace like Gerrit Cole in the rotation could take them to the next level.
At this point, all Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees front office can do is sit back in San Diego and wait for Cole to make his decision on whether or not he wants to accept the deal and come to New York. Expect these negotiations to move very quickly due to the Yankees urgency to get this deal done as soon as possible. Cashman is a very smart man and wouldn’t have made such an offer to Cole if he didn’t that that is exactly the number he was looking for.