Yankees the clear winners after Gerrit Coles about-face

SAN ANTONIO — Brian Cashman played nice.He insisted that, yes, Gerrit Cole opted out of the final four years at $144 million of his contract, but both sides agreed to push the original Sunday 5 p.m.

deadline back by 24 hours because they truly wanted to extend a marriage, not end it. But the only sure way for the Yankees to keep Cole would have been to tack on a fifth year at another $36 million.They retained him instead without adding a penny.

Thus, the Yankees might have not played well in the World Series to end their 2024 season.However, they already have their first victory of 2025. Cashman talked about the cramped time to get this resolved with Cole from the end of the World Series to the deadline.

It is why, he said, when the parties — him, agent Scott Boras and eventually Hal Steinbrenner and Cole — had positive discussions over the weekend, it was agreed to push the deadline to Monday at 5 p.m. Cashman mentioned that at a future date the sides can revisit an extension.But why would the Yankees extend Cole now unless it was to add years at less money or deferred salaries to lower the value from $36 million a year to help toward the luxury tax payroll? After all, the Yankees faced a pressure point — Cole could go out into free agency — and did not blink.

Why blink now that Cole is a signed player for four more years, through his age-37 season, unless it is to their benefit? Cashman refused to accept this was a game of chicken that the Yankees won.He said this was what the sides mutually wanted.

Well, it certainly was what the Yankees desired.Cole, by opting out, was, at minimum, seeing if the Yankees would buckle. They didn’t.

Will this convince the Yanks to hold firm with another Boras client, Juan Soto, at what offer they think is proper and see if Soto really wants to stay and/or believes there is a greater market elsewhere? It probably will not work as well.As opposed to Cole and Aaron Judge, Soto does not have deep Yankees roots....