The New York Yankees are preparing to make an offseason splash, much to the demise of Boston Red Sox fans everywhere.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday night that the Yankees “have made signing right-hander Gerrit Cole their clear offseason priority and have ownership-level approval to offer him a record-setting deal.”
Here’s a snippet of the latest from Passan:
New York and the Los Angeles Angels, a team similarly smitten with Cole and in even greater need of pitching than the Yankees, are preparing for a bidding war that executives expect will reach well beyond $250 million, according to sources. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ interest in Cole is acute as well, though they are also considering bids for right-hander Stephen Strasburg and third baseman Anthony Rendon, sources said.
The report added that the willingness of both the Yankees and Angels to fork over hefty deals likely will accelerate the timetable of the signing.
Cole, 29, is coming off a stellar 2019 season where he went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 33 starts for the Houston Astros. It was his second consecutive season of at least 15 wins and a sub-three ERA, making him the offseason’s most prized asset.
