Gerrit Cole was finalization away from being on the Astros, until word came in that this wasn’t true at all, and not only was nothing imminent, but it wasn’t even confirmed if Cole to the Astros was truly in the works or just a possibility like any other January rumor.
No one knows where Gerrit Cole is pitching next
Thursday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at a trade that was until it wasn’t that still could be.
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
It was especially cruel taunting for Astros fans expecting a rotation upgrade and Pirates fans who need Pittsburgh to decide if they’re going to try to win or try to rebuild, but fans everywhere are transaction-starved, so having this ripped from all of us at what appeared to be the last second, well, it fits in with this boring as heck offseason, at least.
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What’s especially odd is the trade isn’t happening despite who was reporting it as imminent. MLB’s Jon Paul Morosi and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal are two of the most trusted in the entire industry, if not the most trusted: if something the two of them confirmed turned out to not be true, then who are you supposed to trust?
Well, you’re still supposed to trust Morosi and Rosenthal. Given their track records, it’s entirely possible that a deal was agreed to in principle, or that it was imminent, and that something changed afterwards, in time for Jeff Passan — who is as reliable as those two — to be able to swoop in with his own source saying no such deal was nearly complete.
What this means outside of remembering who you can believe is that a Cole to the Astros deal is still very much a possibility. Of course, Cole not being on the Astros yet means Cole to the Yankees remains a potential future, too, and nothing says he has to leave the Pirates at all, at least not before the trade deadline or next offseason.
- What we’re seeing this MLB offseason isn’t the textbook definition of collusion, no, but the slow pace of action is tied to the collusion of the 80s, and will continue to be until the MLBPA changes tactics.
- Rhode Island clam chowder isn’t even chowder at all, and Whitney McIntosh has the proof.
- No, this offseason isn’t forcing us to look elsewhere for content, why do you ask?
- Sam Miller wondered what would happen if a baseball game went 50 innings, so we’re not the only ones looking in strange places for stories.
- Viva El Birdos wonders if Danny Salazar is the future relief ace the Cardinals need, assuming they can pry him from the Indians.
- Imagine if the Phillies had a much more active offseason. Now you don’t have to, because Justin Klugh already did it for you.
- Buster Olney’s position rankings are a reminder of why the Giants are pretending they aren’t bad, writes Grant Brisbee.
- Trade retrospective time! Beyond the Box Score looked at the Wade Davis/James Shields/Wil Myers deal from 2012.
- There’s a mystery team in on Yu Darvish, according to Yu Darvish himself.
- The Mets signed Jay Bruce to a three-year, $39 million contract after trading him away at the deadline this past summer.
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