The Gerrit Cole sweepstakes have come to a conclusion. He agrees to terms with the New York Yankees for a reported nine years and 324 million dollars.
Breaking: Gerrit Cole to Yankees. 9 years. 36M per. 324M total.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 11, 2019
2019 Dominance
Gerrit Cole was runner-up in the Cy Young award voting in 2019 after finishing the season 20-5 in 212.1 innings pitched for the Houston Astros. He led the AL in strikeouts (326), K/9 (13.8), ERA (2.50), ERA+ (185), and FIP (2.64).
Cole also pitched very well in the postseason. He displayed utter dominance against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. In two starts, Cole struck out 25 batters over 15.2 innings pitched with a 0.57 ERA.
Overall, he pitched in 36.2 innings during the postseason with 47 strikeouts while only allowing seven earned runs. Additionally, he posted a 4.27 K/BB ratio and a 0.873.
Track Record
Cole started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he established himself as an All-Star and showed flashes of what he was capable of in 2015. Cole was 19-8 that season with a 2.60 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 208 innings pitched.
2016 was filled with injuries for Cole, and he followed that up with a 4.26 ERA in 203 innings pitched during 2017. Once he was traded to the Astros prior to the 2018 season, he began to unlock his potential and display it with more consistency.
In his two seasons in Houston, he led the league in K/9 and finished in the top-five for the Cy Young award in each season. Additionally, he pitched to ERAs under 3.00 in each of those seasons.
Upgrading the Rotation
Cole will slot in as the number one pitcher for the New York Yankees. The Yankees have been lacking that one true ace pitcher in their quest to win their first world series since the 2009 season. Ironically the signing of Cole comes just as the Yankees say goodbye to long-time pitcher CC Sabathia. Sabathia like Cole was signed as a hired gun to be the missing piece of the championship puzzle.
Signing Cole who is 29 years old is a no brainer for the Yankees. This acquisition is about winning championships now. Cole will be 38 years old when the contract runs out and most likely won’t be the dominant pitcher he is today. The Yankees never have been a team to worry about the back end of long term contracts. Cole is dominant now and his signing makes the Yankees the instant favorites in 2020.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
