MLB rumors: Gerrit Cole, Yankees agree to nine-year, $324M contract

Share

Well, so much for being the mystery team.

Whatever slim hopes the Giants had of signing free-agent pitcher Gerrit Cole reportedly evaporated Tuesday night, as he and the Yankees have agreed to a nine-year contract according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

New York has long been seen as the favorites to land the highly-sought-after ace, and the reported $324 million given to Cole blows away the record for the largest average annual value of a pitcher's contract in MLB history, previously set Monday when Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals agreed to a seven-year, $245 million contract.

The Giants expected to add at least one starting pitcher at the Winter Meetings, and while that was accomplished by Tuesday's signing of right-hander Kevin Gausman to a one-year contract, it doesn't rule out another.

Clearly, though, it won't be Cole.

[RELATED: How Giants can take advantage of penny-pinching teams]

Considering the Dodgers were thought to be a legitimate contender for Cole's services, though, this definitely isn't the worst possible outcome for San Francisco.

Contact Us