MLB Rumors: Yankees to meet with Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg in free agency

Share

This may shock you, but the New York Yankees are going big game hunting this offseason.

The Yankees are set to meet free-agent pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg in California this week, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday.

Cole and Strasburg are the cream of the 2019-20 free agent pitcher crop: Cole finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting after a dominant 2019 campaign for the Houston Astros, while Strasburg was named World Series MVP after a lights-out postseason effort for the Washington Nationals.

According to Rosenthal, Cole is a more realistic target for New York than Strasburg, who could draw interest from other teams like the San Diego Padres but is a strong candidate to re-sign with Washington.

In fact, the Yankees are making Cole their "top priority" in free agency, per Rosenthal, as New York is hoping to make the 29-year-old the ace of its rotation after a failed bid to trade for him following the 2017 season.

In any case, the Yankees' week of A-lister meetings is a sign they're willing to spend after their 103-win season ended with an ALCS loss to the Astros.

That means Chaim Bloom and the rival Boston Red Sox have their work cut out for them. The Red Sox convinced J.D. Martinez to stick around but still have questions in their rotation, as Rick Porcello is hitting free agency and Chris Sale is recovering from a shoulder injury.

The Red Sox aren't expected to make any big splashes this offseason outside a potential trade of Mookie Betts, but perhaps their rival completing a blockbuster will spur more action.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Contact Us