Yankees Rumors: NY 'Expected to Engage' with Gerrit Cole in Free Agency

The New York Yankees are expected to "expected to engage" with Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole in free agency this offseason, according to Andy Martino of SNY.

Martino noted the belief in league circles is that Cole—a California native—would prefer to land with a team on the West Coast.

In his second year in Houston, Cole has put together his finest season to date. He put himself in the mix for the 2019 American League Cy Young award by going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA, with an MLB-high 326 strikeouts in a career-high 212.2 innings.

Cole had been the star of the postseason through his first three October starts, going 3-0 while allowing just one run in 22.2 innings of work. New York got an up close look at the right-hander's dominance, as he tossed seven innings of four-hit, shutout baseball against the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the 2019 American League Championship Series.

New York found out the hard way what dominant pitching can do to a powerful offense, as Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke helped the Astros eliminate the Yankees in six games in the ALCS.

His start against the Yankees was just the latest in what was a historic run for Cole. From May 27 to Oct. 15, he went 19-0 with a 1.59 ERA over a 25-start stretch.

Cole's hot streak finally came to an end on Tuesday night against in Game 1 of the World Series, as he surrendered five runs in seven innings against the Washington Nationals in a 5-4 loss. Depending on how the next few games play out, though, he may have a chance for redemption later in the series.

Though the Yankees' lineup is full of star power, the rotation could use a boost. Masahiro Tanaka led the pitching staff with 182 innings, and James Paxton (3.82 ERA) led the rotation in earned run average among starters with at least 15 starts in 2019.

If it does indeed happen this offseason, it would not be the first time the Yankees tried to get Cole in pinstripes. New York drafted Cole—a lifelong Yankees fan—28th overall in the 2008 draft, but he opted to go play college ball at UCLA.

New York never had the opportunity to select Cole in 2011, as the right-hander was the first player off the board.