The New York Yankees' young squad wasn't supposed to be quite this good in 2017. But the rebuild is ahead of schedule and the Yankees are 19-9, tied for first place the in AL East. The surprise start has led to speculation the Yankees could try to win now, rather than waiting for the young players and prospects to continue to develop. Pitching help is the top need and John Harper of the New York Daily News speculates the Yankees could attempt to land Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole in a trade.
Harper says it's still a bit early, but he thinks Cole is a natural trade target if the Yankees continue to win and the Pirates continue to struggle. Harper reports an MLB executive thinks an offer of Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield might be enough to get the Pirates to agree to a trade. Those are the top two prospects the Yankees got in the Andrew Miller trade.
"Frazier hasn’t hit much in Triple-A but he's still young (22) with a high ceiling, and Sheffield projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter." the exec told Harper. "It might take another solid prospect and a fringe guy too, because Cole would be a hot commodity if he is available, and Pittsburgh would want quantity as well as quality. But the Yankees have the depth to outbid other teams."
The Yankees could go after other options, like J.A. Happ or Jose Quintana, but Harper thinks Cole is the top option. Cole is also, in a way, the player who got away. Cole elected to go to UCLA instead of joining the Yankees as a first round pick in 2008.
Cole is just 1-3 this year, but has a 3.14 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. In his career, Cole has a 48-33 record with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.194 WHIP.
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