"Yankees understand Scott Boras has to worry about Juan Soto" - Ex-MLB star weighs in on Brian Cashman declining Gerrit Cole extension for $36,000,000
When Gerrit Cole used the opt-out close on his contract to add an extra year for $36,000,000, it looked like Yankees GM Brian Cashman would do it to keep the ace pitcher till 2029. However, they didn't despite Cole having agent Scott Boras in his corner.
Former MLB star Trevor Plouffe believes Juan Soto's free agency played a part in the Yankees decision. Plouffe, who played nine years in MLB for the Twins, Phillies, Athletics and Rays, shared on yesterday's episode of "Baseball Today" podcast with insider and analyst Chris Rose.
"I do feel like the Yankees had some leverage here," said Plouffe [ timestamp 4:58]. "Number one, Gerrit Cole, you know, he had some health issues this year. I'm not saying he's old, but he's getting older every year. So, I think they could point to that."
For Plouffe, there was an obvious reason why the Yankees won the staredown with Gerrit Cole, thus saving $36,000,000.
"They [Yankees] understand that Scott Boras has another big dog to worry about in Juan Soto, and that's going to take up a ton of his energy. And basically, I think they were like, 'Hey Scott, do you want to have to do this twice this offseason?'" said Plouffe [Timestamp 5:24].
The 2009 World Baseball Cup winner also recounted a past instance where Scott Boras was in a similar situation.
"I remember when [Scott] Boras had [Eric] Hosmer and [Mike] Moustakas together, and it seemed like he kind of focused on Hosmer. Hosmer got the big deal, and I think Moose ended up signing for like one year at $8 million or something like that before he eventually got his deal with the Reds," Plouffe added [Timstamp 5:41].
Plouffe names one more reason why the Yankees didn't extend Gerrit Cole
In addition to the Juan Soto factor, Plouffe believes the Yankees might have leveraged Cole's injury to their advantage.
"So, I think the Yankees, and I think they could point to the beginning of the season, saying, 'Hey man, he had some health issues. We already have him locked up for another four years at $36 million per year,'" said Plouffe [Timestamp 6:13].
The former Twins slugger believes the final decision was not as surprising as many believe. Plouffe believes that Brian Cashman and Scott Boras always knew it would happen.
Co-host Chris Rose also chimed in commenting that adding an extra $36,000,000 for Gerrit Cole, a player in his mid-30s and having trouble with his elbows isn't a smart move for a team.