Gerrit Cole contract: How much will the Yankees ace earn in 2023?

With the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings set to begin next week, fans are hoping we will see a move similar to Gerrit Cole's when he signed with the New York Yankees in 2019 during the same period. With some top-tier arms in the free agent market, including Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, and Carlos Rodon, there is a realistic possibility that by Wednesday, December 7th, a major pitcher will have signed a new deal.

"The Phillies and Rays have emerged as potential suitors for right-hander Jacob deGrom, per sources. Rangers and Mets are still in. Rays officials believe they have an outside shot at deGrom but think location and roster construction should be an aid to their pursuit." - MLB Nerds

The 2019 Winter Meetings were headlined by two major signings, which occurred on consecutive days. The first was Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million deal with the New York Yankees. The second came the following night, with Anthony Rendon signing a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Until the end of his contract following the 2028 season, Gerrit Cole will make $36 million per season. Without an extension for Aaron Judge yet to be determined, Cole's $36,000,000 will be the highest on the Yankees payroll next season, with Giancarlo Stanton as the second highest with an annual salary of $32 million.

"Brian Cashman watching Gerrit Cole pitch against the Red Sox without Spider Tack knowing there’s still seven years and $252 million remaining on his contract, all over the age of 30." - Jared Carrabis

Before any of the current free agents sign their new deals, Cole currently owns the fourth most expensive deal in the MLB. Ahead of him are only the aforementioned Anthony Rendon in third, Mike Trout second ($37.1 million), and Max Scherzer first ($43.3 million).

Gerrit Cole and his Spider Tack allegations

Spider Tack, a resin-based substance originally used by weightlifters to provide additional grip, eventually made its way to professional baseball. The use of "sticky stuff" allowed pitchers to increase their spin rate of the ball. This resulted in higher velocity on fastballs and increased movement on off-speed pitches.

Cole has been the most notorious abuser of the foreign substance. He has been called out by several different players for his use of the product, including Josh Donaldson and Alek Manoah, who have gone on record to accuse Cole of cheating on several occasions.

"Me calmly explaining to people that Gerrit Cole is not a spider tack merchant and he’s still elite" - @PlayoffTanaka