Coming off a season where he had a 2.50 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with an astounding 326 strikeouts in 212.1 IP, Gerrit Cole will hit the free agent market this offseason as the biggest starting pitching prize.
The Yankees, again being second-guessed for their lack of reliable top of the rotation pieces after another playoff ouster, could be among the teams competing for Cole's services.
So what will he make?
One MLB executive who spoke with SNY's Andy Martino estimated that the 29-year-old Cole will find a deal of at least seven years and make $33-35 million per year. That would put the floor of Cole's deal at $231 million, making it the most lucrative deal ever given to a starting pitcher.
The two biggest deals in history for starting pitchers have gone to David Price ($217 million over seven seasons with the Red Sox) and Max Scherzer ($210 million over seven seasons with the Nationals).
The biggest deal given out last offseason to a pitcher was to Patrick Corbin, who received $140 million over six seasons from the Nats.
Martino noted that Cole -- a native of Newport Beach, CA -- could prefer a team on the west coast and that the early expectation is that Cole will find a more eager suitor outside of the Bronx.
As far as the best fits for Cole, the Dodgers come to mind immediately.
Despite tons of success in the regular season, the Dodgers lost in the World Series in 2017 and 2018, and were ousted in the NLDS by the Nationals earlier this month.
The Dodgers could also potentially lose Hyun-Jin Ryu to free agency and are watching Clayton Kershaw try to adjust on the fly during the downside of his career.