Pittsburgh Pirates: Potential Gerrit Cole Trade Destinations
If the Pittsburgh Pirates trade Gerrit Cole this winter, where could he land?
The Pittsburgh Pirates may use this offseason to unload several core members of their roster. This includes starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, whose age and affordable contract make him wonderful trade fodder. Will they do it?
Every big league team can afford to pay Cole who is still in the early stages of his arbitration years. Only some of those teams have the prospects to make a deal actually happen.
Cole isn’t a guy the Pirates are afraid of losing yet. Unlike Andrew McCutchen, he won’t reach free agency until at least after the 2019 season. There’s time to extend him should they decide he has a future in Pittsburgh.
In 2017, Cole took a step back from the performance he turned in over the past two seasons. Two years earlier he finished fourth in the Cy Young voting thanks in large part to the 19 wins he ended the year with. It also helped that he posted a career-best 2.60 ERA.
Cole followed that up with a declined performance in 2016 featuring a 7-10 record and 3.88 ERA. Most notably, injuries limited him to only 21 starts.
Health is not an issue for Cole. He led the league with 33 starts this past season and for the second time in his career, delivered 200+ innings. His age, contract, and history of not completely imploding in any single season should add to his trade value. Now, it’s just a matter of someone offering the Pirates a bounty they cannot turn away.
Minnesota Twins
It’s about time the Minnesota Twins made a big trade. Despite becoming trade deadline sellers in 2017, Minnesota cracked the postseason. They exited quickly, but not before possibly setting up for a more productive year to follow.
Cole is someone I think matches well with the Twins. All it will cost them is a bundle of minor league players. This is a fair price to pay for a guy yet to reach his pinnacle.
An issue I see here is how much higher the price might be. The Twins’ farm system is by no means elite. Many of their young talent already resides in the big leagues. Trading them doesn’t make much sense. Any big deal Minnesota makes must be done carefully without hurting their chances at the postseason.
Next year, the Twins can open the year with Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios as the rotation headliners. Add Cole and this suddenly becomes a more formidable group.
Best of all, Cole is a pretty good strikeout pitcher. Over his career, the 27-year-old has averaged 8.4 per nine. Amassing strikeouts was an issue for the Twins in 2017. Landing a very capable arm like Cole’s would fill this void and allow the defense to take a few plays off.
Philadelphia Phillies
This winter could be the one when the Philadelphia Phillies turn the page. Their young players are starting to hit. A new manager will also lead the way. Desperate for pitching, Cole is definitely someone to watch in their winter pursuit of a better 2018 squad.
Aaron Nola is the lone Phillies’ starter with a rotation spot locked for 2018. The former first round pick delivered a terrific season in yet another bleak year in Phillies’ history.
Obviously, Nola can’t carry this team without a lot of help. That’s where Cole comes in. Together, Nola and Cole create a fabulous one-two punch. I don’t see it leading to playoff berth, but it sets up well for more action the following winter when a huge lot of star power becomes available.
The Phillies certainly have the prospects to acquire just about anyone they desire. A surplus of infielders could even mean a guy like Scott Kingery becomes available. The time to decide which young players stay and which go is nearing.
No doubt, Philadelphia will employ at least one really good starting pitcher not currently with the team by Opening Day 2019. Why wait? If Cole’s available, this is a player that can fit in with the future.
Toronto Blue Jays
It’s unclear what the Toronto Blue Jays will do in 2018. Are they getting ready to sell and rebuild or go after a championship before Josh Donaldson potentially departs in free agency?
If they’re looking to compete then they could think about adding a pitcher like Cole. Considering the bleak statistics their pitchers produced during the regular season, it would be foolish to enter next year without an upgrade.
The Blue Jays’ pitching staff didn’t produce many quality starts this past season. Blame injuries to Aaron Sanchez and bad luck for this dilapidated performance. The fact remains, Toronto fell well short of expectations.
The Blue Jays already made small strides suggesting 2018 is another year of competitive Canadian baseball. The Marco Estrada extension doesn’t make any sense unless they truly believe they have a shot. Making a trade for Cole gives them a much better chance at returning to the playoffs.
Next: Dusty's days in D.C. done
Not many realize that the Blue Jays actually do have the young talent to make a run at Cole or a similar player. Although Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette aren’t getting traded any time soon, their presence allows other quality prospects to depart.
We should see many new faces in the Blue Jays dugout. Cole could very well become one of them.