Yankees Superstar Predicted to Opt Out of Deal

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been predicted to opt out of his current contract after this season.

Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) kneels before the start of the game against Kansas City Royals during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Two of the New York Yankees' three best players could reasonably be headed elsewhere this offseason.

These three players, of course, are Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Gerrit Cole.

Yankees fans can breathe easy as it pertains to the likely 2024 AL MVP, given that Judge signed a nine-year contract with New York last December. And anybody who hasn't been living under a rock this season is well aware that Soto is going to be an unrestricted free agent.

Then there's Gerrit Cole, whose potential departure from New York this offseason has gone somewhat under the radar. While he isn't going to become a free agent, a quirky feature in the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed with the Yankees back in December 2019 means that Cole can opt out of his current deal after this season.

And that's exactly what Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted Cole would do in an October 9 article.

"Cole almost certainly opts out," Miller wrote after noting how the four-year, $144M player option that encompasses the second-half of Cole's contract can turn into a five-year, $180M club option if Cole does indeed opt out.

While this might sound terrifying for Yankees fans, there's also good news. As Miller alluded to, the Yankees can ensure that Cole remains in the Bronx not only for next season but for the next five seasons because if Cole does opt out then the Yankees have a team option to tack on an extra year (and $36 million) at the end of his current deal.

And Miller said that the, "Yankees very likely opt in, locking up their ace through 2029."

Given how mutually beneficial Cole's Yankees tenure has been to this point, the two sides should be eager to ensure Cole stays in pinstripes.