Gerrit Cole wants to be very clear: He was very, very excited that the Pirates traded him to the Houston Astros.
Introduced as a member of the Astros at a press conference Wednesday, Cole was asked how it felt to be acquired by the reigning champions who clearly intend to compete for another World Series this season — and to know he is considered a a critical piece of that effort.
“It’s really special,” Cole said. “Obviously, the organization puts — values me very high, and that always feels good as a player. And it’s refreshing to come to an environment where the team is willing to continually put resources into the club and continue to move forward and try to provide the best possible product for its fans.