There surely will be some stars available this winter.
This will be a very interesting offseason with a star-studded free agent class. New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto and Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes will lead the class this winter and both are projected to get historic contracts.
They won’t be the only stars available, though. There could even be some surprising players available. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller put together a list of eight bold predictions for the offseason and mentioned Yankees ace Gerrit Cole becoming available and mentioned the Boston Red Sox as a loose fit.
“In case you haven’t already heard, there is an opt-out clause coming up this offseason in Gerrit Cole’s nine-year, $324 million contract,” Miller said. “He has four years remaining on his deal at a total sum of $144M ($36M per year), which he can choose to decline within the first five days after the World Series ends. If he does decline it (which we’ve long assumed he will do), the Yankees can add an additional $36M season onto the contract, which would make it a five-year, $180M deal from here on out.
“Cole is a few months younger (with much less of an injury history) than Jacob deGrom was two years ago when he signed his five-year, $185M deal with the (Texas Rangers). Max Scherzer was two years older than Cole when he got $43.3M per year on a three-year deal…If Cole hits the open market, he should get five years for $200M, if not slightly more than that. And while the New York Mets would be the most likely candidate to make that happen, it would be quite the stoking of the rivalry flames if the Boston Red Sox make Cole their ace.”
If somehow Cole does become available, he would immediately join Soto and Burnes as the best players available. Boston needs an ace and could afford a $200 million deal. Plus, a deal with the Red Sox would hurt New York. Keep an eye on him.