Cole lands record deal with Yankees: $324M
Gerrit Cole quickly ended Stephen Strasburg’s tenure as baseball’s highest-paid pitcher.
Cole agreed to a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees on Tuesday night, The Associated Press reported.
Cole’s deal established marks for pitchers in total dollars, topping the seven-year, $245 million contract Stephen Strasburg finalized a day earlier to remain with the World Series champion Nationals.
Its $36 million average is a record for any player, beating the $35.5 million in outfielder Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Angels that started last season. Cole gets an even $36 million annually and can opt out after the 2024 season. He also has a no-trade provision.
Cole, 29, was baseball’s most dominant pitcher for much of 2019 and helped the Astros come within one win of their second World Series title in three seasons.
On Wednesday, ESPN reported that the Dodgers and former A’s closer Blake Treinen, 31, agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal.
The Blue Jays signed right-handed starter Tanner Roark, 33, to a two-year deal worth $24 million, ESPN reported.
Opiods testing to begin in ’20: Five months after Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died in a hotel room with two opioids in his bloodstream, Major League Baseball and its players union agreed on a new drug policy that will add opioid testing for major leaguers and marijuana use will not be punished in the major or minor leagues.
The policy, which would be implemented next season, is expected to be announced Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The new policy is expected to call for treatment, rather than suspension, for players testing positive for opioids. Major league players haven’t been subject to opioid or marijuana testing, barring reasonable cause or participation in a treatment program.
The policy also would allow major and minor leaguers to use marijuana for pain relief without fear of discipline.
MLB to institute 3-batter minimum: MLB is pushing ahead with a rules change for 2020 that requires pitchers to face at least three batters or finish a half-inning.
Commissioner Rob Manfred also said the injured list for pitchers will revert to 15 days from 10 days. In tandem, pitchers optioned to the minors will have to spend 15 days with farm teams before they can be recalled unless they replace a pitcher going on the IL.
As part of a March 8 agreement with the players’ association, management had the right to make the changes for 2020.
All pitchers must face at least three batters or end a half-inning, unless injured.
Manfred also announced that expanded netting in place for next season at all 30 ballparks.
The extent of the expansion will vary by ballpark, according to Manfred, but all netting will at minimum extend “substantially beyond” the far end of the dugout on both sides of the field.