The Yankees were determined not to let Gerrit Cole get away again. Having already zeroed in on him as their top free-agent prospect, they promptly made sure their pitch would not be topped by the competition. They proposed a contract that guaranteed him the highest figure for the longest time. And, for good measure, they topped their eye-popping record offer of $324 million over nine years with an out clause that he can exercise at his discretion midway through the deal. In other words, they placed a key to the door under their welcome mat — ensuring that he got the message they were bent on sending: They need him, and, to secure his future as best he can, he needs them.
Cole listened to all those who lined up for his services, of course. Prudence called on him to do so, and not simply because he was Major League Baseball’s most coveted difference maker heading into the winter sweepstakes. Considering the work he has done on the mound in the recent past and the havoc he is certain to wreak moving forward, he stands as the single most important target in the Bigs for the next half decade. Still, the Yankees were frontrunners for a cacophony of reasons. Having grown up cheering for them, he can now go full circle and be their star of stars.
Which leads to why Cole ultimately had no choice but to say yes to a situation that appealed to both logic and emotion. The Yankees are already built to contend for the here and now, not to mention the medium term. And, yes, they’re hungry for the hardware, what with the decade turning and the trophy count on their mantel still stuck at 27. So clear was the separation they created over the other suitors that he didn’t even take long to make a decision. The capacity — or, to be more precise, preference — of agent Scott Boras to play the waiting game notwithstanding, he was thorough but fast in assessing his choices. He then acted accordingly.
For the Yankees, the third time’s the charm. They couldn’t latch on to Cole when they picked him in the first round of the rookie draft 11 years ago; he opted to go to college instead. They then failed to trade for him a couple of seasons back; the Pirates rebuffed their advances and sent him packing for the Astros. They certainly pulled out all the stops in so doing; they abandoned their relative prudence and splurged on him in a manner not seen since they acquired Masahiro Tanaka in 2014. And while nothing less than a World Series victory is always expected, they now have the biggest tool they need to finish the job.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
