Some New York Yankees supporters are concerned that ace Gerrit Cole may opt out of his current contract and leave in MLB free agency. However, fresh information from a key MLB insider reveals why he isn’t going anywhere.
After only making 12 starts in the first season of a hefty nine-year, $324 million contract, some questioned whether Gerrit Cole would be another failed pricey Yankees free agent signing. Cole, unlike players like Hideki Irabu and Carl Pavano, has mostly met expectations.
Throughout his five seasons with the team, the six-time All-Star has been a true ace. He even won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023. While he missed much of the first half of the season and battled.
Reestablishing himself as one of the top pitchers in the AL has fueled talk that he may utilize a player option to waive the final four years of his deal and test free agency this winter. With Juan Soto also reaching the open market at the end of the season, the last thing New York needs is to engage in bidding wars with rivals for Soto and Cole.
On Tuesday, ESPN MLB analyst Jeff Passan outlined the peculiar condition in Gerrit Cole’s deal that guarantees the Yankees will retain him in pinstripes for the long haul.
