The New York Yankees reportedly have gotten their man.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole has agreed to a record-breaking nine-year, $324 million deal with New York, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The contract will earn Cole $36 million per year.
Breaking: Gerrit Cole to Yankees. 9 years. 36M per. 324M total.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 11, 2019
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal confirmed Heyman’s report shortly thereafter.
The deal is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher and contains the highest average annual value of any $100 million contract in MLB history, per ESPN Stats & Info. It just missed being the largest free agency deal in league history, coming in behind Bryce Harper’s contract with the Philadelphia Phillies signed last offseason.
Cole went 20-5 last season with the Houston Astros, posting a 2.50 ERA.
