Yankees Reported Offer to Pitcher Gerrit Cole in Free Agency Revealed
By Jerry Trotta
If recent reports have told us anything, it's that the New York Yankees are prepared to risk it all to lure touted free agent Gerrit Cole to the Bronx.
Insiders around MLB have tabbed the Yanks as the favorite to land the three-time All-Star, and their first reported offer confirms why they believe that to be the case.
Per Bob Klapsich of the New York Times, the Pinstripes have extended a seven-year, $245 million contract offer to Cole, a figure that would break the previous record held by Zack Greinke in terms of annual average value.
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
New York's offer equates to a $35 million annual salary, a figure that most pundits predicted Cole's value to be at heading into the offseason.
What remains to be seen, however, is whether or not the Angels or Dodgers, the other reported players, are willing to offer the right-handed superstar a deal longer than what the Yankees (seven years) are presenting.
Yankees have a 7-year, $245M offer on the table for Gerrit Cole, per @BobKlap pic.twitter.com/Jk4lOZxWj3
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) December 8, 2019
Who knows if that would be enough to convince Cole to spurn the Yankees in favor of his native California, but Brian Cashman has certainly made a statement with this reported monstrous offer.