WASHINGTON — Yeah, he’s worth it.
Except that just might not matter this time.
With his final start of his most important season, Gerrit Cole shined once again, shutting down the falling-and-can’t-get-up Nationals by a 7-1 margin Sunday night in World Series Game 5 at Nationals Park and leading his Astros to a 3-2 lead. Unless Houston needs Cole’s bullpen services in a Game 7 Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park — and right now, you bet heavily on the ’Stros wrapping things up in Tuesday night’s Game 6 — Cole’s next meaningful pitch will come on Opening Day 2020, with him probably as the owner of contract in the $250 million to $300 million range.