The Yankees will formally introduce pitcher Gerrit Cole to their standing rotation on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the Bronx.

The marquee free agent during the MLB offseason will slide right into the top spot in the Yanks' starting rotation, which also includes James Paxton.

While Cole's addition will knock him down the pecking order, Paxton is thrilled to not just welcome Cole to the team, but just to simply watch him work.

"I heard the rumblings and I was excited about it," Paxton told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday. "Probably the best pitcher on the planet and I'm excited to learn from him and have him pitching on the squad."

Cole joins a rotation which also includes Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino along with Paxton.

Paxton explained how Cole's addition will help both Yankee hitters and fellow starting pitchers alike. It's all about breathing easy, whether it's Cole's turn on the bump or someone else's in 2020.

"The hitters can relax [when Cole's pitching]," Paxton said. "That's what I strive to do, to give those guys a day where they feel like they're relaxed and they don't need to put all the pressure on themselves and I think that's the same thing for our [whole] starting rotation. There's a really good group coming into New York this year to pitch and I think that everyone knowing that everyone is so good, I think it kind of takes the pressure off yourself with having to be so good."

Piecing Paxton's formula together sounds a lot easier said through Aaron Boone's words, in regard to the team's aspirations post-Cole signing.

"You're just hopefully finishing off a team that can potentially win a championship," the manager said.

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