Gerrit Cole is going to be paid a king’s ransom this offseason. That much is clear.
The only question now is, which team will win the bidding war for the star right-hander?
As it stands, the New York Yankees appear to be the ballclub most aggressive in the Cole sweepstakes. As much was made clear Sunday afternoon via the New York Times’ Bob Klapsich, who shared details of the Bronx Bombers’ reported contract offer for the three-time All-Star.
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
The Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers initially were viewed as the most likely landing spots for Cole, a Southern California native, as the 2019 Major League Baseball concluded. However, Cole reportedly made it clear to Yankees brass during his meeting with the franchise that there will be no West Coast bias included in his upcoming free-agent decision. This surely must have been music to New York’s ears, as the addition of Cole alone could be what gets the Yankees over the hump.
The Yankees typically aren’t ones to be financially outmatched, so it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Cole end up in pinstripes.
