The New York Yankees want free-agent right-handed ace Gerrit Cole, but they seem to be under the assumption that Cole doesn't really want them.
Not as much as he wants a certain other American League team on the opposite coast, anyway.
During an appearance on MLB Tonight on Monday, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman said that the Yankees think Cole is headed to the Los Angeles Angels:
“I think Cole will probably end up on one of the coasts,” Heyman said. The (Los Angeles) Angels are a very strong possibility. The Yankees are a possibility. The Yankees believe that he’s probably going to go to the Angels, but either of them would not shock me.”
The general consensus for quite some time has been that Cole will wind up with either the Angels or the Yankees, so this does not come as much of a surprise.
However, if a New York source is already saying that Cole is likely headed to Los Angeles, it could mean that the Yanks will be looking elsewhere for starting pitching help in the coming weeks.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed just yet. Many feel that Cole won't actually make his decision until 2020, and while Cole did grow up in California, he was a Yankees fan, and the Bronx Bombers certainly offer a better opportunity to win than the Halos at the current point in time.
But, obviously, this is not the news that New York fans wanted to hear in the early stages of free agency.
Cole, who spent the last two years with the Houston Astros, is coming off of a tremendous 2019 campaign in which he went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA, allowing just 142 hits while striking out 326 batters over 212.1 innings.
He finished second in AL Cy Young voting as a result, losing out on the award to teammate Justin Verlander.
Follow Us
Subscribe