When super agent Scott Boras told Gerrit Cole how much money the New York Yankees wanted to pay him, the ace was totally floored.
Gerrit Cole knew free agency would make him a very rich man. Still, when he learned exactly how much money the New York Yankees were offering, all words abandoned him.
Per a tweet from The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler, “Gerrit Cole said he was stunned into silence when Scott Boras told him the Yankees’ final offer. He says Boras then asked, ‘G, are you there? You’re supposed to be f***ing screaming right now.’”
Cole’s loss for words is certainly relatable. Who wouldn’t be floored by a nine-year, $324 million offer?
The Yankees and their new ace made the signing official on Wednesday. Now that the press conference is over, the pressure on Cole to get the Bombers back to the World Series can begin.
On paper, the 29-year-old immediately makes New York the favorite to win a championship in 2020.
He brings a career 94-52 record and 3.22 ERA (3.06 FIP) to the Bronx. In 2019, the California native made hitters look like fools, going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts in 212.1 innings. He also led the entire MLB with a 185 ERA+, according to Baseball Reference.
Cole joins a rotation that includes the likes of James Paxton, Luis Severino, and Masahiro Tanaka. He’ll also have a bullpen crammed with closers to lock down his wins and save his arm for the postseason.
New York just wrapped up a decade without a ring, an unthinkable stretch of failure in Yankee Land. The pressure Cole signed up for is one of the few things in existence that’s bigger than his new paychecks.
But if all goes well, he can finally let out a scream of joy one chilly night in late October 2020. And a rejuvenated Evil Empire will roar along with him.
