The New York Yankees made headlines this offseason as they landed one of the best offensive players in the league. Prior to landing Juan Soto, the NY side got real help from the Boston Red Sox. The Boston franchise traded Alex Verdugo to their arch-rivals. Hence, now the Yankees have a pretty good lineup of outfielders and sluggers.
On the other hand, they already had a pretty good bullpen. Now, they plan to add the Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the lineup. He can be another starting pitcher for the 27-time champions besides Gerrit Cole. In the case of Cole, the Yankees might find a tricky situation at the end of the 2024 season.
How Will The Yankees Deal With The Fascinating Contract Situation Of Gerrit Cole After 2024?
Prior to the 2020 season, the Yankees’ Ace signed a nine-year deal worth $324 million. Following the next season, he will come up on the 5th year of his deal. Hence, the NY side and Cole find a fascinating contract situation after the 2024 season. The fascination is mainly revolving around the availability of an opt-out. This opt-out will come at a time when the ace pitcher will still remain $144 million and four years in his contract. If the starting pitcher feels great with the NY side, he can surely opt-in. However, Gerrit Cole will be eligible to opt-out for a more lucrative contract.
If the ace pitcher opts out, then the Yankees will be able to void that decision. Adding to that, the Bronx Bombers can give him $36 million for his 5th year. Overall, they would then give him $180 million for five years. As per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, agent of Gerrit Cole, Scott Boras, the Yankees can eliminate the opt-out by fixing a $36 million paycheck in 2029. As a result, Cole’s total would come to $360 million for ten years. Scott Boras said they would anticipate those things to happen. Perhaps, Gerrit Cole would like to end his career in New York. However, the ace pitcher might also look for a bigger paycheck.
Juan Soto’s Deal Changed Things For The Bronx This Offseason
Clearly, the Bronx Bombers look much better now with Juan Soto in the lineup than how they did at the end of the 2023 season. They had a lot of issues in their offense. Moreover, the NY side had the worst batting average last season after the Oakland Athletics. On top of that, injuries to key players did not help their cause either. They found it really difficult to cope with the long Injured List. It had names of experienced players as well as rookies and players in their sophomore season.
Hence, they needed a major upgrade this offseason. Moreover, the Yankees had to keep their promise of making significant changes. That’s what they have done really well this offseason. They were the first to deal with the first major trade of this offseason. As a result, the San Diego Padres traded Juan Soto to the Yankees for a year, along with another lefty outfielder Trent Grisham.