What do you get the team that has everything? Even more, apparently. On Saturday evening, the Astros provided a spark to the dying embers of the offseason by swinging a trade for Pirates ace Gerrit Cole in exchange for third base prospect Colin Moran, starter Joe Musgrove, and reliever Michael Feliz. Cole, whom Pittsburgh shopped heavily in the past few weeks and was rumored to be Bronx-bound last month (and who was said to be headed to Houston earlier in the week before the trade was declared fake news), will now fortify a World Series-winning rotation that already features former MVP Justin Verlander, former Cy Young Dallas Keuchel, and hard-throwing curveball specialist Lance McCullers. In other words: Best of luck, rest of the American League.
So why are the Pirates moving on? It?s likely that Pittsburgh?s front office, with the team coming off a 75-win season and staring up at the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals in the NL Central, believes this current iteration of the Buccos has seen its window close. Given that he?s still two years away from free agency, Cole would seem to be the kind of guy you build the next great Pittsburgh team around. But he?s about to get pricy (at least, for the thrifty Pirates): He?ll make $6.75 million in 2018 after avoiding arbitration, and that figure will spike again in ?19. And with the changes to free-agent compensation made in the current CBA, the best the Pirates would get for Cole when he inevitably walked after the ?19 season would be a pair of draft picks. Moving him now was the only option if the team decided that last year was the end of the line.
So why are the Pirates moving on? It?s likely that Pittsburgh?s front office, with the team coming off a 75-win season and staring up at the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals in the NL Central, believes this current iteration of the Buccos has seen its window close. Given that he?s still two years away from free agency, Cole would seem to be the kind of guy you build the next great Pittsburgh team around. But he?s about to get pricy (at least, for the thrifty Pirates): He?ll make $6.75 million in 2018 after avoiding arbitration, and that figure will spike again in ?19. And with the changes to free-agent compensation made in the current CBA, the best the Pirates would get for Cole when he inevitably walked after the ?19 season would be a pair of draft picks. Moving him now was the only option if the team decided that last year was the end of the line.
