New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked away from the team’s meeting with free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole with an overall good feeling.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone called the team’s meeting with highly touted free agent Gerrit Cole as “really good,” according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
The Yankees' meeting with Gerrit Cole was "really good" and "a real joy," Aaron Boone said on YES.
"Hopefully it's something that resonated. It's kind of a two way street and we'll see where it ends up."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 10, 2019
The Yankees first met with Cole in California last week. Longtime MLB insider Jon Heyman reported Tuesday morning that New York did indeed make Cole an offer on Monday. The Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and a mystery team reported by Heyman are also interested.
Cole, 29, is coming off a career year with the Houston Astros. He went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and an astounding 326 strikeouts in just 212.1 innings. Cole also spent the first five years of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who drafted Cole out of Stanford with the No. 1 pick in 2011.
At this point, it’s probably just a matter of who wants to sign Gerrit Cole more. The Washington Nationals signed Stephen Strasburg to a new seven-year, $245 million contract on Monday, and he is 31 years old. Cole, given his own age, could easily command $300 million or more on his new contract.
Simply put, as I’ve mentioned before, the Yankees need to view Cole as their man to lose. New York could use a viable arm at the top of its starting rotation and is already looking at potential J.A. Happ trades to clear luxury tax space.
If the meeting went as well as Boone says it did, then the Yankees could become the clear winners of free agency. Moreover, a Cole addition could immediately make the Bronx Bombers a favorite to win the 2020 World Series.
Alas, nothing is official as of right now, but stay tuned as the free-agent market develops at a rapid pace.
