After years of feuding, it seems Yankee stars Josh Donaldson and Gerrit Cole are now buddies. Yes, hard to believe. Donaldson recently went on the R2C2 podcast, which features Ryan Ruocco and Yankees legend C.C. Sabathia. Amidst his conversation with the two, Donaldson discussed his relationship status with Cole.

As I talked to [Yankees GM Brian] Cash and he told me the trade was going down, I'm like ‘I'll be there tomorrow.' I drove that morning [from Fort Myers] and I said ‘Look, I need to have a talk with Gerrit. He's going to have certain feelings toward me. I want to hear him out and I want him to hear me out.' After that, [the beef] has been over. That was important to me. Me and him are boys now. My fiancee hangs out with his wife. Our kids had a play date [the other day].

When the Yankees first traded for Donaldson in March, fans immediately thought of the awkward dynamic with Cole. While it's certainly not something any of us expected, it has to make Yankees fans feel even better about the trade. Some worried about the locker room dynamic, but the two have seemed to have resolved their issues.

Donaldson's trade truly came out of nowhere, as Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez were swapped in return. Along with the issues with Cole, fans were skeptical of the trade. He's started the season somewhat sluggish, as he's hitting just .217 with one RBI in six games. Despite that, it's clear what his role in the Bronx is.

Along with providing support to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, it's apparent that he's tried to bring a bit of an “edge” back to the clubhouse. Additionally, his veteran leadership can't hurt, especially after the disappointing 2021 season.

The Cole-Donaldson dynamic and now friendship is still something to get used to. For Yankee fans, hopefully it'll lead to better success on the diamond.