TAMPA — Gerrit Cole did not get an extra year added to his contract this offseason, but insisted he came away satisfied with the end result that he remained in pinstripes.
After the World Series ended, the Yankees ace opted out of his contract, which put the ball in the team’s court — it could either add one year and $36 million to the end of his contract to negate the opt-out or allow Cole to become a free agent.
The Yankees essentially called Cole on his bluff and declined to add the extra year, which ultimately led to Cole rescinding the opt-out and never testing free agency.
“The intention wasn’t to do anything other than stay,” Cole said Wednesday after the first workout for pitchers and catchers at Steinbrenner Field. “I was happy to be where my feet were, back in Yankee Stadium.”
Asked if he had any frustration about the team not adding the extra year — which would have made it five years and $180 million left on his contract instead of the current four years and $144 million — Cole claimed he did not.
“I got what I wanted,” Cole said. “I wanted to be here.”
The situation opened the door for potential hurt feelings, but manager Aaron Boone said Cole “had a good way about him” when he reported to camp.
“He came in and talked about it openly after the fact,” Boone said. “He kind of put us at ease a little bit and a laugh. Certainly I’m really excited that he came back.”
Had the 34-year-old Cole not missed the first two-plus months of last season with elbow nerve irritation and edema — and then knocked off some rust once he returned to the Yankees — it may have been an easier decision for the club to add the fifth year to his contract.
Instead, GM Brian Cashman said in November the Yankees “weren’t comfortable” tacking on the extra year.
“We had good conversations as a group and ultimately decided to just continue along the path that we were at and maybe at some point in the future pick the conversation back up,” Cole said.
