Are the New York Yankees really “all in” on Gerrit Cole? Just Ask Hal
By Manny Gómez
After a meeting with ace Gerrit Cole, rumors had it that the New York Yankees were “all in” on the starter. Truth is, Cole’s future with the Yanks is all up to Hal.
On Tuesday, Jon Heyman reported that the New York Yankees met with Gerrit Cole in Southern Calfornia. Apparently, though the Yanks are concerned that he may prefer either of Los Angeles’ teams, they are “all in” on the right-handed pitcher.
Tomorrow, the Yankees are set to meet with another ace starter in Stephen Strasburg. All of this may seem to indicate that the team is ready to break the bank this offseason, but the truth is… it’s all due diligence.
Whether the team acquires either Cole or Strasburg is really all up to Hal Steinbrenner. Holding these meetings with these starters could very well be a mechanism by which the team can save face.
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“We made them generous offers and they decided to go elsewhere.” We’ve heard it before, so why not again.
Over recent years, Steinbrenner has made it clear that he doesn’t want to exceed the luxury tax threshold. For the 2020 MLB season, the threshold is set to $208M. With a current Yankee payroll at $199.2M and arbitration contracts pending, the team will more than likely have to blow past that number even before a deal for Cole or Strasburg is included.
So the real question is: is Hal Steinbrenner willing to spend whatever it takes to ink Gerrit Cole, who Spotrac predicts will receive somewhere around $32.9M? Even if it balloons the current payroll to close to $250M?
My guess is, no!
The good news is, there are other options that, while not as attractive, may not cost as much while still adding value. Namely, Zack Wheeler, who reportedly already has a $100M on the table. Or how about Madison Bumgarner who’s the same age as Gerrit Cole but has a significantly lower price tag?
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My guess is, New York Yankees fans won’t be happy with the alternative. Beggars can’t be choosers, however, and in this case, the alternative is actually quite good.