Yankees: It’s time to give up on the idea of trading for Gerrit Cole

The Yankees and Pirates have been discussing a deal regarding Gerrit Cole for a while now, and it is finally time for New York to stop picking up the phone.

No matter where you turn this offseason odds are you probably hear rumors about the Yankees trading for Gerrit Cole. It has become so dragged on that it is almost painful to hear about at this point.

New York does not need Cole, and they should not have to give up any of their prized young talents to acquire him. Especially considering the Pirates were asking for star infielder Gleyber Torres.

When many fans look at the Yankees heading into next season, they see a problem with the starting rotation, but in reality, there is no problem at all. As of now, the rotation for next season looks like it will consist of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery and CC Sabathia.

More from Yankees News

• Diamondbacks outfielder’s comment on Carlos Rodón’s IG raises eyebrows
• Aaron Judge Time interview scared Yankees as much as it scared you
• Why weren’t Yankees in on Kodai Senga now that we know the price?
• Baseball Reference proves Yankees’ Aaron Judge lives rent free in Boston
• Yankees’ Clay Holmes trade just became even bigger disaster for Pirates

In the second half of last season, these five men combined to form one of the best starting rotations in MLB. The Yankees ranked third in starting pitching WAR, fifth in ERA, seventh in K/9 and fourth in innings pitched.

It’s tough to expect Severino to perform at the level he did last season, but Tanaka should have a bounce-back season; Gray will now be accustomed to pitching to Gary Sanchez, Montgomery will no longer be a rookie and Sabathia is a workhorse.

If Cole were added to the mix that would mean Montgomery would most likely be forced to begin the season in Triple-A despite proving that he is ready to pitch in the major leagues now.

The argument can be made that when on point, Cole has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the game, but who says this is the Cole the Yankees will be receiving?

This was the same case with Michael Pineda; you never knew which pitcher you were going to get.

In 2015, Cole was dominant and finished in the top-five for NL Cy Young Award, but then had an injury-plagued 2016 season and struggled in 2017, sporting a 4.26 ERA with the Pirates.

Also, don’t forget that New York has two pitchers in the minor leagues named Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield who are itching to get a shot in the majors and could be used for depth if needed.

Next: Yankees third-base coach Phil Nevin is pumped for 2018

Regardless, Cole is just not worth it for the Yankees, especially if it means giving up one of their top prospects like Frazier or Torres in return.