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The New York Yankees are interested in trading for Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports says.
Yankees are interested in gerrit cole, who they once drafted. But initial impression is pirates arent trading him.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 11, 2017
ESPN’s Buster Olney adds the Pirates are willing to listen, which, I would argue, doesn’t contradict Heyman’s statement that the Pirates aren’t likely to move Cole.
The Pirates are willing to listen to offers for Gerrit Cole; the Yankees and Pirates match up well for potential deals at this juncture, as sources confirm; Brian Cashman and Neal Huntington have an extensive trade history. Time will tell.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 11, 2017
A word to the wise: I wouldn’t get terribly concerned at this point. Cole, for his flaws that can be exposed up close, is a very talented pitcher with two seasons of arbitration left, and will draw a ton of interest. The Pirates, in their position, are smart to listen on anybody. This is almost always their stance.
This won’t be the last report of this type you’ll see. People will continue to report on the interest in Cole, the Pirates will listen and we will continue to pass this on. But it’s not exactly a big deal, yet.