Trending: Yankees confirms reinforcement with All-Star Pitcher on 4-year, $144 million deal, as Juan Soto is finally confirmed to be…See Details
The New York Yankees are sticking with pitcher Gerrit Cole for the long term. Cole opted out of his contract over the weekend, but the Yankees and Cole have decided to stay together, per multiple reports from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman and ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The two sides will keep discussing a potential extension to Cole’s four-year, $144 million deal.
Cole signed a nine-year, $324 million deal in 2019 — then the richest contract in league history — to bring him to New York through 2028. Cole will turn 38 years old in the final year of his current deal.
New York had until 5 p.m. ET Monday to decide whether to restructure the deal.
Cole, a six-time All-Star, missed the start of the 2024 season due to nerve inflammation. He finished the season with 99 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA across 95 innings in 17 games.
SP – NYY – #45
Cole is one season removed from unanimously winning the AL Cy Young award in 2023, and he started the 2023 All-Star Game for the American League.
This is shaping up to be a busy offseason for the Yankees, who have to re-sign or find replacements for free agents, including Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Clay Holmes. New York declined a team option on first baseman Anthony Rizzo and declined pitcher Lou Trivino’s option but did exercise the team option for reliever Luke Weaver.
Yankees star Juan Soto among 13 players who received qualifying offers on Monday
The Yankees also struck a deal to keep starting pitcher Gerrit Cole for the foreseeable future on Monday
More than a dozen free agents across Major League Baseball received a qualifying offer on Monday, marking one of the first major moments of the MLB offseason following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series win.
Among the 13 players who received a qualifying offer was New York Yankees star Juan Soto. The 26-year-old is perhaps the best free agent on the market this offseason after his latest impressive season with the Yankees, though it’s unclear if he’ll opt to remain in the Bronx.
Soto held a .288 batting average with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI this season, his first with the Yankees after the team struck a deal with the San Diego Padres for him.
RF – NYY – #22
Soto is expected to decline the qualifying offer in the near future, which would spark a bidding war for him that could go “well beyond” $500 million, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. Players have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19 to accept the offer.
“I’m really happy with the city, with the team, but at the end of the day, we will see,” Soto said after the Yankees fell to the Dodgers in the World Series. “We’re going to look at every situation, every offer we get. I don’t know what teams want to come after me, but definitely I’ll be open to listen to every single team. I don’t have any doors closed or anything like that, so we’re going to be available for all 30 teams.”
Here’s a look at all 13 players who received a qualifying offer on Monday.
MLB’s Qualifying Offers List
The deadline to accept a qualifying offer is set for Nov. 19.
Juan Soto (OF) | New York Yankees
Corbin Burnes (RHP) | Baltimore Orioles
Anthony Santander (OF) | Baltimore Orioles
Alex Bregman (3B) | Houston Astros
Willy Adames (SS) | Milwaukee Brewers
Pete Alonso (1B) | New York Mets
Sean Manaea (LHP) | New York Mets
Luis Severino (RHP) | New York Mets
Teoscar Hernández (OF) | Los Angeles Dodgers
Nick Pivetta (RHP) | Boston Red Sox
Christian Walker (1B) | Arizona Diamondbacks
Nick Martinez (RHP) | Cincinnati Reds
Max Fried (LHP) | Atlanta Brave
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