The Official 2024-25 MLB Hot Stove Thread
- Thread starter ineedsleep212
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I just don't know why NY would be motivated to guarantee a 34 year old pitcher 5/$180 million.
The Yankees had to give Cole that opt-out clause or Boras would have pushed him to sign elsewhere.
They can't afford to lose him now with Soto almost certainly leaving.
There is a probability that Cole could get a similar offer on the market and he might leave NY if the Yankees declined the option -- because if Soto can see how top-heavy this team is, Gerrit Cole can see it, too.
If the Yankees lost Cole and Soto, this team wouldn't even be as good as the Royals.
The Yankees picking up Cole's option is like keeping him prisoner.
Who else is offering that though? All these guys start getting injured around this age and it started for him this season. You could point to Verlander winning two CYs after 34 and finished second another time but he missed two seasons in the middle of that; Scherzer was good for a couple years then started breaking down. We know about deGrom and Kershaw.
I guess the argument could be Cole doesn't have the same workload as those two had at the same age. He's also built like a horse and has a pretty easy throwing motion.
Three years I can see but five on the open market seems like a stretch.
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
if Cole walks, Rodon is their ace. It's not like letting Cole test the market only to bring him back for lesser money is an option.
it's an overpay yes, but the Yankees also can't do better on the market whereas I could see a team paying Cole big time money in the offseason. Arguably only Burnes is on his level.
I'd rather have Burnes.
Despite what that dork in the Twitter thread @VegetasHairline posted (no shots at you @VegetasHairline
), he went to the AL East in a walk year and had a great season. Even went into the 9th inning allowing one ER in a playoff game. Burnes had 32 starts this season and went at least six 23 times. I watched him absolutely carve up the Tigers in September when Detroit was on fire.
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
It's like what I said in the Yankee threadI'd rather have Burnes.
Despite what that dork in the Twitter thread @VegetasHairline posted (no shots at you @VegetasHairline
Burnes had 32 starts this season and went at least six 23 times. I watched him absolutely carve up the Tigers in September when Detroit was on fire.
It's 2 good years of Cole and 3 ehh to bad years vs. 3 good years of Burnes and 4 ehh to bad years of him. I woulda traded Spencer Jones to get Burnes last offseason, but Burnes is also not missing bats the way he used to and the Yankees don't have any more of a track to get Burnes than any other team with money.
If I was Burnes agent and I see Cole opting out of $36 mil a year, why wouldn't I set the market at $36 mil a year but for 7 years? The Mets might do that. Baltimore maybe, maybe even Boston. That might scare the Yankees off. At that point they'll just build the rotation around Gil or trade for a starter (which makes losing Soto worse since they dealt King who woulda easily been their #1 or #2.)
King P
Legends Never Die
Said it in the Yankees thread, I'll say it again here...
I'm a big Gerrit Cole fan, but at this point I'm on with letting him walk. He doesn't move the needle anymore at what he's making. He's had some very good years, but his best days are behind him and he's way too old to be paying him 30 million a year. You could buy his WAR for alot cheaper than that, even if it takes a few arms to make up the difference.
Starting pitchers these days are akin to NFL running backs: Grab the best ones as they enter the league, because once you put some miles on them they become a huge liability. The type of people shelling out the massive SP contracts are thinking back to the Nolan Ryan era and thinking that's what their money is buying. An ace will never give that sort of value ever again.
I'm a big Gerrit Cole fan, but at this point I'm on with letting him walk. He doesn't move the needle anymore at what he's making. He's had some very good years, but his best days are behind him and he's way too old to be paying him 30 million a year. You could buy his WAR for alot cheaper than that, even if it takes a few arms to make up the difference.
Starting pitchers these days are akin to NFL running backs: Grab the best ones as they enter the league, because once you put some miles on them they become a huge liability. The type of people shelling out the massive SP contracts are thinking back to the Nolan Ryan era and thinking that's what their money is buying. An ace will never give that sort of value ever again.
VegetasHairline
Veteran
Surprised Yankees haven't agreed to the extra year for Cole yet. I'm assuming they will before tonight
Spidey Man
Superstar
Gotta count pennies and see if they could renegotiate cashman's contact cause Hal can't afford Cole and Soto.
VegetasHairline
Veteran
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