YANKS ARE IN COMPETITION FOR GERRIT COLE

Photo: New York Daily News

It looks like the Yankees may have some competition for Gerrit Cole if they are still interested. The Pirates are asking for a king's ransom worth of prospects if they deal him and the Yankees haven't pulled the trigger. Theo Epstein on the other hand is quite trigger happy and has proven he likes to spend money in the past. Will he give the green light to do it again?

I'm glad Cashman has kept that poker face and hopefully he continues to. According to CBS Chicago baseball writer Bruce Levine HERE the Cubs are a new potential trade partner with the Pirates. Starting pitching is the team's primary focus as they try to replace rotation spots that Jake Arrieta and John Lackey threw last season but likely won't return since they are now free agents.

Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune

The Cubs have already signed Tyler Chatwood to a three-year deal that oddly enough may have to be reworked but still have a greater need to fill in their rotation as compared to the Yankees. While Epstein may no longer be a GM and now has a bigger role with the Cubs he has been known to pull some big trades or sign players to expensive deals. He also helped break the so-called "Curse of the billy goat" and help improve what was a depleted farm before he got there. So will Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer make the Pirates an offer they cant refuse and sign Cole instead?

Maybe. This is the first connection between the Cubs and the Pirates. Talks between the Yankees and the Pirates were heated just before Christmas but have since fizzled out. Cashman may be playing chicken and the Cubs may be ready to up the ante and make a surprise move.

The Yankees sent a nice haul to Oakland last season in the trade for cost controlled starter Sonny Gray, but still managed to hold on top higher level prospects. Cashman is still looking for that cost controlled starter to help boost the rotation without giving up the big names the Pirates are asking for.

I'm sure that starter Cashman wants is still out there somewhere, but at a better price. Could things change and talks with the Pirates heat up again? Maybe, who knows but in the event that it doesn't and the Cubs want to pay the hefty price for Cole I'm okay with that.

I guess I am like Cashman, I am a bargain hunter. Theo, if your Cubbies want to overpay for Cole I'm okay with that. You can have him.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj