COLE LOTTA LOVE
PIRATES YOUNG ACE TOPS YANKS’ WISH LIST
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — According to a person who works for a club with interest in acquiring right-hander Gerrit Cole, the Pirates are thinking harder than usual about making a deal.
In an effort to bolster their rotation, the Yankees are working hard to land the 27-year-old, who was drafted by them in the first round out of high school in 2008 and chose to attend UCLA instead. Three years later, the Pirates took him with the first pick in the draft.
“They are very slow to make a deal and they are very calculated,’’ an industry source said of the Pirates. “They try to win the trade instead of making the best trade for both teams.’’
The Pirates are said to be looking for a left-handed hitting power bat and a pitcher ready for the big leagues. Since the Yankees aren’t moving Greg Bird, the lefty bat might be a detriment and their top pitching prospects aren’t major league ready.
However, the Yankees have worked around hurdles in the past and have other pieces to help seduce the Pirates.
According to The Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees have also spoken to the Diamondbacks about lefty Patrick Corbin, who is a year away from free agency.
With free-agent starters Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta way above the Yankees’ budget, and Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn likely to land more money than the Yankees have to spend as they intend to get under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold, CC Sabathia could return as a free agent and join a pitcher acquired by trade.
Cole is arbitration eligible for the second time this offseason and made $3.75 million last year, so he would easily fit into the Yankees’ financial plans. Cole was 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA in 33 starts last season when he gave up 31 homers. He is 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA in 127 big league starts.
Corbin, 28, was 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA in 33 games (32 starts) last year when he was paid $3.95 million. He is eligible for a third and final trip through arbitration. In 139 big-league games (121 starts) Corbin is 45-47 with a 4.12 ERA.
Whether it’s free agency or a trade, general manager Brian Cashman said the market for pitching is in its infancy.
“By the conversations I have had with free agents, especially, it’s a slow-moving market from their perspective. I have heard things like we are still in the first quarter,’’ Cashman said early Wednesday night at the Winter Meetings.
Since the Yankees’ offseason strategy was delayed by their decision not to bring Joe Girardi back, searching for — and hiring — his replacement and constructing Aaron Boone’s coaching staff, Cashman feels he has made up the stagger.
“It means I haven’t missed any opportunities. You have seen some relievers come off the board for the most part and that is an area of strength for us and an area that doesn’t currently makes sense in our world,’’ Cashman said. “It has given me the opportunity that I have caught up to speed with everybody.
“I don’t feel like I am playing catch-up now. I feel I am on equal footing with all other clubs and cleared more salary space to allow us the ability to engage even a broader audience on trade and free-agent side. But it’s so hard to find a match and comfort level. If you are an agent, you want to make sure whatever recommendation you make to your client you have a clear picture of what the best opportunity is and that sounds like a lot of guys are in recon on that.
“Trade opportunities are a lot more serious in terms of people trying to drill down if there is a real opportunity between any party. It feels that has been more the focus everybody has been dealing with.’’