TAMPA, Fla. -- There were a couple of mornings during the offseason when Gerrit Cole woke up in the unfamiliar role of free agent, available to all suitors after having opted out of his Yankees contract. Yet the right-hander always expected to be right here, back as the ace of the team he grew up cheering for.
“The intention wasn’t to do anything other than stay,” Cole said on Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, where Yankees pitchers and catchers conducted their first workout of the spring. “I was happy to be where my feet were, back in Yankee Stadium.”
In November, Cole exercised his right to opt out of the four years and $144 million remaining on his deal, a maneuver that had long been expected.
When the Yankees declined to void the opt-out, with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner saying he was not “comfortable” with adding a fifth year at $36 million, Cole and agent Scott Boras agreed to continue under the original deal that runs through 2028.
At the time, general manager Brian Cashman remarked, “Maybe the grass isn’t always greener,” adding that Cole “likes who he’s playing for and working for.”
Cole agreed with the second part of that statement, saying on Wednesday, “We had good conversations as a group and ultimately decided to just continue along the path.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was “relieved” to have Cole back in uniform.
“You never know; great pitchers are obviously really attractive on the market,” Boone said. “As great as he is and has been, you never know.”
This will be Cole’s sixth season with the Yankees, seeing the 34-year-old line up for what would be his fifth Opening Day start with the club.
Coming off a Cy Young Award-winning performance in 2023, Cole sustained a right elbow injury last March that delayed his season debut until June. In 17 starts, Cole posted an 8-5 record and 3.41 ERA, holding opponents to two runs or fewer in 12 starts.
“He was essentially trying to do a Spring Training in the middle of the season,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “He took his lumps a little bit, but I felt like we got a really high-end version of him down the stretch.”
Cole pitched to a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts, including a pair of no-decisions against the Dodgers in the World Series. When Cole signed his original deal with the Yanks, Steinbrenner told him he hoped Cole would deliver multiple championship titles; they’re still looking for the first.
“It was a good push for us,” Cole said. “We’re really proud of what we did, and at the same time, we walked away from the season with a bitter taste in our mouths. It was a real terrible feeling. As a competitor, you don’t enjoy those situations, but every time you step on the field, it makes you tougher.
“It’s another log on your fire that inspires you to put the work in when no one is watching. It’s what fuels you, to a certain extent.”
Cole continued his throwing program throughout the winter and said he is “slightly ahead” of where he was last February, having already faced hitters once in live situations and set to do so again on Thursday. Blake said that the club is tracking Cole’s velocity progression more closely than in the past, and that he is already sitting 92-94 mph, touching 95 mph.
Said Blake: “There’s a lot of confidence that the work has been put in for him to be ready to go. It was a short offseason for all of us, but in some ways, it was probably good for him. He didn’t have a lot of down time to let the arm get stiff. That’s a big thing as guys age; the arm changes a little bit, so just keep it moving. His build-up has been really smooth to this point.”
The Yankees expect their rotation to be a strength this upcoming season, with Cole to be followed by left-hander Max Fried. Cole said that he is looking forward to working alongside the 31-year-old Fried, already a two-time All-Star whom the club believes can improve with access to their facilities.
“It’s just been a pleasure to watch him go about his work,” Cole said. “Like all great players, he’s a really disciplined guy. He really cares about his teammates, fitting in and winning. Every rep, you can see his focus and his concentration. It’ll set a good example for our young guys, and a great addition for our club.”