SAN DIEGO — Stephen Strasburg went first. It defined a market. If necessary, it let anyone involved in the Gerrit Cole market know what the sub-basement looked like. Because seven years at $245 million — what the Nationals guaranteed to retain Strasburg — is not even the floor for Cole.
He is two years younger than Strasburg. He has a far superior health history. He was better in 2019 than Strasburg, who by the way was great.
So it is not like seven years at $246 million gets it done. For the Yankees, or anyone playing for Cole, this could be eight years — or more.