Gerrit Cole Agrees to Contract With Yankees
Gerrit Cole is about to become the highest-paid player in the history of Major League Baseball.
A right-handed pitcher, Cole and the New York Yankees have agreed to a record nine-year, $324 million contract.
The deal includes an opt-out after five years, as well as a full no-trade clause.
The reported deal surpasses the deal that the Washington Nationals reached with Stephen Strasburg earlier this week, for most total money and annual average salary for a pitcher, at $36 million.
Cole, a three-time All-Star (2015, 2018, & 2019) was the runner-up to teammate Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award in 2019, going 20-5 with a 2.50, which led the American League.
The 29-year-old Cole set an Astros record by winning his last 16 regular-season decisions while recording an MLB-best 326 strikeouts, which also set a new team record.
A native of Newport Beach, California, Cole went 35-10 with a 2.68 ERA. over two seasons with the Astros, after being traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2018 season.
The first-overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Pirates, Cole has compiled an overall record of 92-52, to go along with a 3.22 ERA., over parts of 7 career seasons.