The New York Yankees made Major League Baseball headlines Tuesday evening with the mammoth signing of starting pitcher Gerrit Cole of Newport Beach, California. Cole came to terms with the Yankees on a nine-year contract worth $324 million.
Cole will now be earning $36 million per season and the most money earned by a pitcher in Major League Baseball history. He passed Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals, who signed a seven-year contract worth $245 million on Monday. Strasburg, who is the World Series Most Valuable Player, is making $35 million per season.
Cole is also the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball. He currently earns $500,000 per year more than Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout earns. Trout is presently making $35.5 million per season.
Cole is now joining his third Major League Baseball team. In addition to the Astros, he pitched five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2013 to 2017 to begin his career.
In 2019, Cole had a record of 20 wins and five losses. He had an earned run average of 2.50, which was the best in the American League. In 212 1/3 innings pitched, Cole gave up 142 hits, 59 earned runs, 29 home runs and 48 walks. He also had 326 strikeouts which led Major League Baseball, and an excellent WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 0.90.
A three-time all-star, Cole could be considered one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball history to have never had won a Cy Young Award. He instantly becomes the ace of the Yankees in 2020. According to The Guardian, Cole can opt-out of his contract in 2024.
