Former Houston Astros Ace Opts Out of Current Deal with AL Champs

That doesn’t mean that one of the former stalwarts of the Houston Astros pitching staff is hitting the open market just yet.

Oct 27, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals in game five of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Just a couple of days after a bitter disappointment on baseball’s biggest stage, a former Houston Astros ace is laying the groundwork to hit free agency again.

Gerrit Cole, who pitched for the Astros for two seasons, opted out of his deal with the American League champion New York Yankees on Saturday.

ESPN reported that the Yankees still have a chance to keep him. New York can void the opt-out by adding one year and $36 million to the four years and $144 million that Cole had remaining on his deal.

New York might well exercise its right to keep the 34-year-old.

He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 2024 as he missed basically the first half of the season with an elbow issue. Even with that, he helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009, but they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Cole figured prominently in that Game 5 loss as he failed to cover first base on a Mookie Betts ground ball, part of what contributed to a five-run fifth inning for the Dodgers.

He’s been terrific in his five seasons in New York. The right-hander is 59-28 with the Yankees, as he has a 3.12 ERA during that time. He has struck out 985 and walked 185 in that span.

In each of the last four seasons with New York he finished in the Top 10 in Cy Young voting. He finally won the award in 2023 after he went 15-4 with an AL-leading 2.63 ERA with 222 strikeouts and 48 walks.

The Astros acquired Cole in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as Houston sent Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz, Colin Moran and Jason Martin to acquire him.

Cole had two terrific seasons for the Astros, who won the AL West both years and went to the World Series in 2019. He went 35-10 with a 2.68 ERA.

In 2018 he earned his second All-Star Game appearance after he went 15-5 with a 2.88 ERA with 276 strikeouts and 64 walks.

In 2019 he returned to the All-Star Game and went 20-5 with an AL-leading 2.50 ERA with a Major League-leading 386 strikeouts. He finished second in Cy Young voting, finishing behind his teammate, Justin Verlander.

Before Houston, he spent his first five seasons with the Pirates, where he went 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA. His best season was in 2015 when he made his first All-Star Game, went 19-8 and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting.

For his career he is 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA, including 2,251 strikeouts and 500 walks.