Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees’ star pitcher, terminated his contract with the Bronx Bombers days after they lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But under the terms of Cole’s deal, the Yankees can still keep him. He has four years left on his current contract, worth $144 million. But the Yankees have the first option to extend that deal for one more year, at a cost of $36 million.
Cole, 34, is one of the best pitchers in the game, but he made a humiliating error in Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers that caused his team to collapse.
With two outs but the bases loaded for the Dodgers, Mookie Betts threw the ball low to Anthony Rizzo, but Cole couldn’t cover first and Betts covered it easily, allowing the Dodgers to score.
From there, the Yankees’ 5-0 lead disappeared and the Dodgers finished the inning with the score 5-5. They ended up winning 7-6 for their eighth World Series title.
Gerrit Cole, the star pitcher of the New York Yankees, terminated his contract
“I just didn’t know how hard he hit it and when the ball passed me, I wasn’t in a position to cover first,” Cole said after the game. ‘None of us relied on the spin of the ball and (Rizzo) having to secure it. Just a bad read from the beginning.
In the end, it was no surprise that Cole opted to terminate his deal with the possibility of extending his stay on lucrative terms.
It would be a shock if the Yankees let him go. Cole missed the start of the season with an elbow problem and, at one point, there were fears that he may have needed surgery that would have ended his season before it even began.
The Yankees also face a serious fight to retain Juan Soto, with the slugger entering free agency and a host of teams pursuing him on huge terms.
Soto, 26, is expected to be offered multi-year deals starting at about $600 million. The Mets and Dodgers have been linked to rivals of the Yankees for him.
Earlier on Saturday, the Yankees announced they are releasing Anthony Rizzo, meaning they will be in the market for a new first baseman.