The Los Angeles Dodgers might directly benefit from the New York Yankees signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto this offseason by pursuing their alpha dog on the mound.
Dodgers might capitalize on the Yankees’ financial problems and sign Gerrit Cole for 2025.
Chris Landers of FanSided described the scenarios that could allow the Dodgers to sign 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole in the summer (h/t Jackson Roberts of The Sporting News):
“It’s not at all hard to see a team with money to spend and a hole in the rotation convincing Cole that his market value is higher than the $36 million the Yankees are set to pay him next season,” Landers told the press. “Soto will be the Yankees’ first, second and third priorities this winter, meaning that Cole might be headed elsewhere if he does decide to test the market.”
Furthermore, Roberts discussed Cole’s contract predicament for the next four years, saying:
“Cole, 34, may opt out of the last four years and $144 million of his contract. At that point, the Yankees have the option of bringing him back if they add a fifth year, bringing the total worth of the deal to $180 million, Roberts reported.
Cole is an exceptional pitcher who could solve the Dodgers’ rotational problems.
Cole missed a significant amount of the 2024 season as he recovered from elbow nerve inflammation. Despite only making 17 starts, the two-time AL ERA leader finished 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts, putting him on track to finish with 192 Ks if he had started 33 games like the previous two seasons.
Though he still shown that he is an outstanding pitcher in the major leagues, the Yankees are all in on Soto, and the influence he has had on the organization has them prepared to win the World Series this year for the first time since the nine-year Aaron Judge era in New York.
As a result, the Yankees will be tempted to throw a boatload of money at the Dominican superstar slugger in order to keep him, and Cole may become a casualty of such a pursuit, regardless of how important he is to their rotation.
The Yankees still need Cole, despite Soto’s impact on the team.
While Soto may be New York’s top priority over Cole, it’s not impossible for the Yankees to keep their ace, especially given how erratic their rotation has been this season, particularly with Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman.
The circumstances are favourable for the Dodgers to bring Cole on board for 2025.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Dodgers, who have $250 million in payroll obligations for 2025, could offer Cole a sizable contract and elevate him to the No. 1 spot ahead of current ace Tyler Glasnow and their star-studded lineup of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw, both of whom are also under contract for next year.
If the early stretch of the 2024 MLB playoffs has taught us anything, it’s that the Dodgers’ top pitchers are question marks. Cole would eliminate all of that with his elite talent and extensive playoff experience. A move from coast to coast would most likely be dependent on how both teams perform at the end of the postseason. That will provide a much clearer sense of their offseason priorities.
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