SAN DIEGO _ Scott Boras smiled widely as he talked about the negotiations for his client, right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole. The super-agent who just a day earlier landed the largest contract ever for a pitcher with Stephen Strasburg said that talks with teams for Cole are "far along," but would not estimate when they would be able to close the deal.
The Yankees are among the teams bidding record numbers for the 29-year-old Cole, who was the runner up for the 2019 American League Cy Young award. Boras continued to lump the Yankees in with the "number of teams" who have met with and made offers to Cole and his wife Amy. The Angels, in Cole's native Orange County, Calif., are also reportedly in the mix, and the Dodgers have been interested in Cole as well.
"We're in it, we're getting far along in the Cole negotiations. Numerous offers made by clubs. So we're actively in the middle of it," Boras said in his meeting with reporters at the annual MLB Winter Meetings. "You can get to 5 percent of the finish line and it will take a month. It's hard to predict how these things go, but normally when you have these many people involved and you're that far along, it's probable that something can get done in the short term."
On Monday, Boras was on the stage at the Winter Meetings along with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo to make official a $245 million, seven-year deal between the club and Strasburg. That blew David Price's $217 million deal with the Red Sox out of the water and bested the record annual average value (AAV) of $34 million that was set by Zack Greinke.
And Strasburg's deal sent Cole's expectations into the stratosphere.
"I think it's logical that a younger pitcher, a pitcher that's viewed by health standards a little more up the ladder, a big strikeout pitcher, to me it would be a logical path to take," Boras said when asked if Cole's contract would be richer than Strasburg's.
Cole has always been the Yankees' priority for improving the front-end of their rotation. Having drafted him in 2008 and then having failed and an attempt to trade for him when he was with the Pirates, the right-hander has always been just out of their grasp.
The third time may have to be the charm.
Now, with Strasburg and Zack Wheeler, who agreed to a seven-year, $118 million deal with the Phillies, off the table they have less attractive back-up options. Hyun Jin-Ryu is said to be in negotiations to return to the Dodgers and Madison Bumgarner was not high on their radar.
Cole is one of the most coveted free-agent pitchers in modern baseball history _ and he expects to be paid like it.
Two baseball executives said Monday this deal sends Cole's expectations soaring. They expect he could get a deal worth as much as $300 million _ blowing by the deal agreed to by Strasburg Monday.
Boras said that clubs, who met with the Southern California native and his wife last week, were submitting offers this week.
"The Cole negotiations with all clubs are very positive. As you can imagine, they're at the ownership level," Boras said. "Everyone's done a real excellent job in their presentations. Well thought-out processes by all teams and I think it's something that's given him some great value choices going forward.
"The Yankees, and a lot of the other teams that are involved in this, they were all very prepared and did a great job in communicating with Gerrit and Amy and bringing about their process, where they got to know each franchise."
Cole led the AL in ERA (2.50) and strikeouts (326). After losing five decisions through May 22, Cole did not take a loss the rest of the regular season. The Astros went 27-6 in his starts this year.
