The New York Yankees’ painful 2023 season cannot be understated enough. Despite being one of the strong forces on paper, the storied lineup failed to translate the same into the field, which resulted in a shocking playoff elimination. Barring a couple of notable performances, the majority of the unit didn’t live up to the standards.
Gerrit Cole and captain Aaron Judge emerged as the only positives of the season. Moreover, Cole fetched an incredible honor for his salient efforts. The ace pitcher secured his maiden CY Young Award last week. Shortly after, he addressed a press conference to share his views on his personal accomplishments. What he said next perfectly summed up the Yankees’ abysmal season.
Gerrit Cole Says Winning CY Young Feels Different Due To Yankees Lost Season!
Amid a frustrating season, the New York Yankees found solace in ace pitcher Gerrit Cole’s exceptional performance on the mound. He stayed immune to the miserable atmosphere to register impressive starts. The pitcher finished the season with 15-4, a 2.63 ERA, and 222 strikeouts across 33 starts. Not only that, Cole led the American League in multiple pitching stats charts. Thus, MLB declared him the CY Young Awardee for the 2023 season in a unanimous vote. However, Cole restricted his emotions during a press conference. Rather than delivering a conventional acceptance speech focused solely on personal accomplishments, he chose to address the broader narrative surrounding the Yanks’ 2023 campaign.
Gerrit Cole said that CY Young Award-winning feeling was a lot different than how he had imagined. The Yankees lost the 2023 season, and public resentment was a big part of it. “I’m very proud of some of the other seasons where we made a pretty strong run at this award, as well. But it’s hard to say it wasn’t a little different,” said Cole. Naturally, the fire to win a World Series title in the Bronx is still igniting in the ace pitcher. While the CY Young Award remains an extraordinary feat, Cole is dissatisfied. The personal win felt incomplete. Having said that, Gerrit Cole’s words should serve as a reminder for the front office to enforce roster changes ahead of the 2024 season. Cole’s entered his prime years, and the Yanks must contest for the championship before he passes that phase.
Yanks Announces Roster Changes In First Off-Season Move!
Perhaps the New York Yankees front office heard Gerrit Cole’s sentiment. Last week, the team enforced multiple roster moves. In the first trade of the ongoing off-season, INF/OF Jake Bauers was moved to Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfield prospects Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez. The duo will serve in respective minor leagues for now.
Additionally, relief pitchers Lou Trivino, Albert Abreu, and Anthony Misiewicz were non-tendered at the deadline. They will enter free agency as unrestricted agents subsequently. Yet, there has been no substantial move for now. Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to get posted on Monday with a 45-day negotiation window. Besides, Cody Bellinger and Shohei Ohtani are also hot favorites.