Giancarlo Stanton Talks Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole Possibly Joining Yankees

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton said a team "can never have too many" superstars, so he'd welcome free-agent starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg with open arms.   

Stanton told TMZ Sports he's a fan of both right-handed aces as the Yanks attempt to upgrade their roster after getting eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Astros in the 2019 ALCS.

"You can never go wrong with Cole and Strasburg," he said, suggesting the club should try to sign both of the coveted targets. "... I'm pretty sure Gerrit grew up a Yankees fan, so he'd always like to do that. And, Stras, we debuted together, so he'd like that."

New York overcame an injury-plagued campaign, which included just 18 appearances from Stanton, to post a 103-59 record. It led the majors with 943 runs scored, while ranking second in home runs (306) and third in OPS (.829).

The Yankees' starting rotation couldn't match the offense's production, though. It ranked 16th in starter ERA (4.51) and 17th in strikeouts by starters (784).

In addition to those mediocre numbers, the retirement of CC Sabathia creates another void, though he was no longer the reliable top-of-the-rotation arm he was during his prime.

New York features a solid foundation for its starting staff in Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and Luis Severino. The club could use an elite ace, a role either Cole or Strasburg could fill, and another depth starter given the 2019 struggles of J.A. Happ, though.

Trying to land both of the offseason's top free-agent pitchers would be an uphill battle, especially given the eye-popping price tags they'll command. That said, either one would bolster the club's World Series hopes, and Stanton said that's the main focus.

"We got to bring a championship," the slugger told TMZ Sports. "That's what we need."

Caesars Sportsbook lists the Yankees tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best title odds in 2020 (+500) behind only the Astros (+400).