New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole faces an interesting decision this offseason.
The ace of the starting rotation has the ability to opt out of his current contract, which has four years and $144 million remaining on the deal.
With that said, it's not as cut-and-dry as it may seem. Cole, who has rounded into form after an elbow injury, is likely to remain with the Yankees even if he exercises the opt-out clause, according to Jon Heyman of The Post.
"While Gerrit Cole has an opt-out, the overwhelming belief is he’ll be back with the Yankees. The most likely scenario is Cole (0.52 ERA last three starts) opts out, and the Yankees bring him back by adding one more year at $36M, making it $180M for five years," Heyman wrote.
The big key here is that the expectation is that Cole will be back with the Yankees. Despite the injury that kept him on the injured list for the first three months of the season, Cole can guarantee himself more money by exercising the opt-out clause.
The Yankees will be busy this offseason. Not only would they likely void Cole's opt-out by adding that additional year to his contract, but they also will be in the middle of the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
There's a good chance Soto gets himself a deal north of $500 million, especially considering the bidding war that's expected to take place this winter.
In his first seven starts after making his debut June 19, Cole had a 5.40 ERA in 35 innings. In the four starts to follow, Cole has a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings.
The end of the season will be a big factor in determining Cole's decision, but it's widely expected he will opt out of his deal to get that extra year tacked on.
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