While trade talks are ongoing between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees surrounding All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole, nothing appears to be close or imminent at this point.
On Gerrit Cole, sources say a deal with the Yankees is neither close nor imminent. The sentiment is same as last night: There’s room for a deal to be made, and they match up very well together. Both sides know that. Right now, it’s a staring contest.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 22, 2017
Reports Thursday night indicated that the two teams had started talking again after discussions during the winter meetings fell apart.
The issue at hand is Pittsburgh wants a return package to include infielder Gleyber Torres as the centerpiece. Meanwhile, New York is said to be offering a package that is headlined by outfielder Clint Frazier.
yankees have always loved gerrit cole, and maybe they work a deal eventually. but still hearing of one big holdup: pirates want gleyber to headline package, yanks want frazier to headline it.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2017
According to MLB.com, Torres is the Yankees’ top prospect while Frazier came in No. 1 when he was eligible back in 2016.
An All-Star back in 2015, the 27-year-old Cole pitched to a 12-12 record with a 4.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP this past season.
With Pittsburgh said to be motivated to get a deal done here, there’s still a chance a trade can be worked out between the two sides. If New York were to land Cole, he’d likely slide in No. 4 starter, creating one of the deepest rotations in the game.