San Francisco Giants Viewed As Landing Spot for New York Yankees Ace

The San Francisco Giants could be an excellent location for the right-handers services.

Aug 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants aren't the only team in Major League Baseball that'll have to deal with their ace potentially opting out of their contract.

The New York Yankees could face the same issue, as right-hander Gerrit Cole has an opt-out clause in his nine-year, $324 million contract. Cole signed the deal with the Yankees in December 2019.

If Cole attempted to opt-out, it'd trigger a club option. New York could then keep Cole by adding $36 million and one year to his current contract, making it a 10-year deal.

While that's expected to happen, there's a scenario where the Yankees let him walk. It's unlikely, but if they give Juan Soto $500-plus million, could they afford Cole? A team like New York should be able to, but crazier things have happened.

With all of this shaping up to be an interesting scenario, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report ranked landing spots for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. He listed the Giants at No. 7.

"After San Francisco came up short on each of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in recent winters, could this be when the Giants finally land a big fish on a long-term deal? If Blake Snell, Robbie Ray and Matt Chapman all opt out of their deals this offseason, they'll certainly have both the need for a starting pitcher and the money needed to land a big one. (That trio has a combined 2025 salary of $81.2 million.) A big three of Cole, Logan Webb and Kyle Harrison for the next four-plus seasons would be quite the foundation."

If Snell leaves San Francisco in the offseason, they'd have to replace the left-hander. Snell, also a two-time Cy Young Award Winner, would be a big loss to the Giants' rotation if they didn't replace his production.

There's some intrigue about Cole going to San Francisco, too. While the pairing would make sense due to them needing another high-level arm if Snell departs, Cole is also a California native.

Perhaps he's interested in playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers due to their willingness to pay players as much as needed and their status as contenders, but the Giants could be in a good position to win a World Series if they landed him, too.

A lot has to play out over the next few months, but it's something San Francisco fans should keep an eye on.