Report: Astros, Pirates Have 'No Deal' For Gerrit Cole Yet

The Astros' pitching staff almost got scarier.

The Houston Astros have not agreed to a deal for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole but the talks could pick back up, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Astros and Pirates reached an agreement on a trade. Reports followed that Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow noted no deal was imminent.

Source: "No deal" for Gerrit Cole to Houston. "False rumor."

As is the case with these things, talks could pick back up quickly. For now, though, Gerrit Cole to Houston is not happening.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2018

Cole went 12-12 in 2017 with a 4.26 ERA and 196 strikeouts. He has a 3.50 ERA in 127 career starts. His best season came in 2015 when he went 19–8 with a 2.60 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 32 starts. He is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons.

The Astros won the 2017 World Series in seven games over the Los Angeles Dodgers and boasted one of the best rotations in baseball. The addition of Cole would have only made it better as he would join a pitching staff that includes Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers and Charlie Morton.

The New York Yankees, who selected Cole in the first round of the 2008 draft, made an aggressive run for Cole in December but were unable to come to any agreement.