Look: Gerrit Cole Thanks Astros Fans for 'Incredible Support' After World Series

Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole—who will be a free agent this winter—thanked Houston Astros fans on Thursday after the team lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Washington Nationals, 6-2, on Wednesday night:

That followed an exchange with an Astros spokesperson on Wednesday night that raised some eyebrows around baseball, and certainly called into question Cole's future—or lack thereof—in Houston:

Oh, and then Cole chose to wear a hat with the logo of his agent, Scott Boras, to his postgame interview:

If there was any doubt that Cole was ready to hit free agency and test the market, he put that to rest on Wednesday night.

Granted, those moments came after a Game 7 loss, ending Houston's season. And Cole somewhat surprisingly wasn't used in relief, a move that has reflected poorly on manager AJ Hinch, especially considering the team's bullpen gave up four runs in 2.2 innings of work.

On the other hand, Cole was working on just two games of rest after pitching seven innings of one-run ball in Game 5. And he said Hinch had a game plan for Cole in Game 7 and that the scenarios he felt comfortable putting him on the mound didn't come to pass:

So Houston's season ended, and Cole's time with the organization may have come to a close as well. He'll be the top target on the market this year after going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 326 strikeouts this season. 

And The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal has already opined that Cole could be the first $300 million pitcher:

"It's hardly going out on a limb to predict that Cole will set the record for average annual value, surpassing Justin Verlander's $33 million, and also for total value, beating David Price's $217 million.

"So, what are we talking about, eight years at $35 million per season? That's $280 million. Nice round number, but knowing Boras, not round enough. I'm calling Dec. 7 as the over-under date for the first report saying Boras is seeking $300 million."

A lot of teams are going to throw a lot of money Cole's way this offseason. Whether that's $300 million remains to be seen. But after Wednesday night, it does appear as though Houston is facing an uphill battle to retain him, despite his comments thanking the fans just one day later.