Yankees harpoon Cole, Cashman's `white whale,' on 3rd try

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Meeting with Gerrit Cole and the pitcher's wife for the first time last week at the Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach, Brian Cashman tossed out a literary reference that prompted laughter.

"You're my white whale," the New York Yankees general manager told him. "He was someone we drafted in the first round and he chose to go to college. And we tried to trade for him, and Pittsburgh chose to trade him to Houston instead. So we're hoping three's a charm."

It was. With the help of a record $324 million, nine-year contract.

Cashman harpooned the biggest prize in the free-agent market, agreeing to a deal with the 29-year-old right-hander on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, subject to a successful physical, had not been announced.

After two dominant seasons with Houston, Cole will join a rotation that projects to include Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ or Domingo Germán, and a roster built around young stars Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sánchez.

"You're talking about a guy that is the best of the best," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday. "You're just hopefully finishing off a team that can potentially win a championship."

After several seasons of payroll restraint — at least by pinstriped standards — the Yankees increased their projected luxury tax payroll to $247 million. That is $39 million above the initial threshold and about $1 million below the start of the highest surtax and a penalty that would back the Yankees' top 2021 amateur draft pick by 10 slots. New York is on track to owe at least $14 million in tax for 2020 and even more if outfielder Brett Gardner is re-signed and additions are made to the bullpen.

Other than taking on...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Yankees-harpoon-Cole-Cashman-s-white-whale-on-14900345.php