EXPERTS ARE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GERRIT COLE

The Yankees-Gerrit Cole connection has been around for over a decade now. This winter the story will continue. Cole is about to get a big payday. Some "experts" say he could be the first pitcher to get a $300 million deal. Will the Yankees finally get Cole in pinstripes....or will he snub the Yankees yet again?

The Yankees have wanted Cole since the 2008 draft, but he chose college instead. The Yankees tried to get him again in 2017 from the Pirates, but that trade never worked out. Now here we are heading into 2020 and the Yankees are STILL chasing him. As much as the Yankees want to sign Cole, some experts predict the Yankees are NOT the favorites.

Whether the Yankees are the favorites to sign Cole or not does not matter to me. Last winter we were the favorites to sign Manny Machado and that never happened. That word really means nothing to me. I don't buy into the hype that Cole grew up a Yankees fan so he is a perfect fit for the Yankees.  We heard the same thing about Patrick Corbin last year and that didn't end in our favor either. According to Andy Martino of SNY HERE, the "general assumption" is that the Yankees will absolutely pursue Cole, but since he is a California native he will prefer to play for a West coast team.

Take that for what you will. I don't buy that. There is one big factor here that you can't ignore....Scott Boras is Cole's agent. We all know what Boras does, and that is get the biggest and best deal for his clients and he is going to have a very busy offseason. Not only does he have a big list of free agents to find new deals for....but he also represents the top four starters on the market.

The offseason may not be here yet but Boras is already talking about deals, read more HERE. I think he is right, this winter won't be stagnant like the last two. This free agent market is just too good and you have to give credit to Boras, we may dislike him at times but the guy knows what he is doing. "Ironically the teams that have been willing to pay for starting pitching are in the World Series,” Boras said. “Clubs are going to look at that and certainly understand that is the formula that gives them the best chance to win a championship." And his pitchers are the ones playing in the World Series.

Cole is going to get his payday. The other starters represented by Boras will also get their paydays. Recent history has already shown us that nostalgia doesn't always make a decision. It didn't for Corbin, hell even Andy Pettitte left New York for Texas where he grew up but then went back to the Yankees and ended his career with us.

Money has and will continue to factor into these decisions and Boras is good at getting the most of it for his clients. If the Yankees are bidding against the Dodgers, Angels or any other west coast team for Cole so be it.
We will have to wait and see who exactly has the best package to offer, but don't count the Yankees out yet because they are on the East Coast. Only Cole and Boras knows what Cole wants.....and no matter what I guarantee he is going to be happy in the end.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj