Pirates: As trade rumors fade, Gerrit Cole rounding back into form
By Tim Haberin
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Gerrit Cole have both been getting back on track lately. As a result, the right-hander appears all but certain to remain with the club.
Not long ago, it looked like Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole would be one of the top starting pitchers on the market before the trade deadline. Much has changed recently for Cole, in terms of both his trade availability and on-field performance.
Around the All-Star break, the Pirates seemed destined to join the sellers’ club. They were seven games behind in the NL Central as play resumed on July 14. However, since then they have gone 8-3 to pull to within 2.5 games of the division lead.
Naturally, much of the talk about the Bucs being potential sellers has quieted down. Instead, the club might look to capitalize on its recent success by adding a piece in hopes of making a playoff push.
One of the players helping to spearhead the Pirates’ charge over the past couple weeks is none other than Cole, who has been hitting his stride as the trade speculation surrounding him dissipates. In last night’s outing against the Giants in San Francisco, he turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. Over his previous eight starts, he notched only three.
Cole actually began the season in promising fashion. After his first nine outings he owned a 2.84 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 4.17 K/BB ratio in 57 innings. In his next eight appearances, he sputtered to a 6.65 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 2.57 K/BB over 44.2 frames. His most recent four? A 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 5.20 K/BB in 25 innings.
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Even as he struggled, it didn’t do much to dampen Cole’s potential trade appeal. He’s still just 26 years old and under team control through the 2019 season. He finished fourth for the NL Cy Young Award in 2015. Certainly a talented young pitcher many teams would be interested in acquiring for their squad.
Nevertheless, a hot streak is never a bad thing for a possible trade chip. If you believe Pittsburgh’s recent run is a fluke and remain skeptical of their playoff chances, you might be inclined to say they should take advantage of Cole’s resurgence and deal him now. But the Pirates prefer to let the righty’s performance continue to benefit them in the win-loss column, and you can’t blame them for that.
Cole isn’t the only big name the Bucs are reportedly pulling off the table, either. They are supposedly leaning toward keeping Andrew McCutchen, another key player who’s been heating up of late. Not unlike the Royals, the Pirates once seemed dead in the water but are suddenly nowhere close to raising the white flag.
Next: Pirates unlikely to trade McCutchen
With just under a week to go until the deadline, a lot can still change. But for the moment, Cole and the Pirates will just be happy he’s pitching like an ace again.