Wow. I don't mind the money, next CBA is going to up the LT threshold. But nine years? We will see.

Go Yankees. I just texted my friend. Will we see a billion dollar deal in the next 25 to 30 years? Man oh man. And it's not even winter, yet! I had to go read the Globe for the 1st time in ages. lol.... Whoo-hoo!

This reminds me of signing CC back in the day. Hope we have success and WS or bust....

As to the $$$, reminds me of an old story Joe D used to tell when the Boss was buying everything in sight. Asked how much he'd have asked for after Reggie got (then) big bucks, Joe D said, "George, you and I are about to become partners."

Also, good luck to DiDi in Philly. At least I'll get the chance to see himn at Nats Park this summer. Class guy, reunited with Coffee Joe.

Got to keep the fannies in the seats and with the impending Amazon streaming deal, this makes sense. The short term success is always priority instead of future success. At least they have some more guys who are young to fill in and at least work cheaply for a few more years before Judge, Sanchez, Torres break the bank.

This also is just money, and the Yanks didn't trade away all their young studs, as the Big Stein used to do.

I also hope they lock up LeMahieu for a few more years.

It was a good decision to just blow Cole away with money, so they can address any other needs they have and likely trade away Happ, who is now possibly more necessary for another team now that Strasburg and Cole are off the table so early? Maybe pair Happ and Frazier? I can't see Clint working out in NY, he is too high strung.

I hope Frazier gets traded, for his sake.

I think he can be an All Star caliber player, I don't think he's going to get that chance with the Yankees, which is a pity, I really dig Syndrome.

As Alex mentioned, this restores the world order. I like it best when the Yankees are hated. Hopefully we got through all the bad injury luck in 2019, because if this roster is healthy in 2020 -- dear god.

The comparison to bringing CC in is excellent. Having a true ace impacts every other aspect of the club, more so than any other position, I think. (I would accept an argument that Mo did the same, but he wasn't a normal closer.) When the rest of your rotation is filled out with Tanaka and Severino, guys who we used to think were aces, everything looks so much better.

Another thing about Cole is that I don't think I really appreciated how great he has been. The only time I ever watched the Astros was when they were playing the Yankees, so I've seen Cole pitch a handful of times and never really paid attention to anything beyond his obvious numbers. It was heartening to hear some of the reporting last night, including the idea that he could be the best free agent pitcher in history. (Not the best pitcher, not the best in this era, but the pitcher who was best when he became a free agent.)

Here are three stats that blew me away.
1. When he struck out his 300th batter last year, he did it before logging 200 innings.
2. He struck out at least one batter in 73 consecutive innings!
3. He had the highest K/9 of any starter in major league history.

Yes, all those numbers are inflated because EVERYONE is striking out more, but still.

Cole also grew up a Yankee fan too, so that is pretty amazing.

I too mourn the loss of Sir Didi. I guess if things get tough with LeMahieu maybe not resigning, there is the opportunity for Didi to come back to the Bronx next year and we slide Gleyber back over to 2nd?

(6) I like Clint too, and it is too bad that he was abrasive with the press and a bit immature (leaving the clubhouse and having your teammates have to talk for you). The Bronx isn't for everyone and I am sure other players counseled him on how to handle the press, but he seems like a hothead. Thus the red hair. :)

I don't like this deal because of the number of years and the amount per season -- it seems crazy to me.

Maybe Stanton opts out after next season and that covers all but $91 million, but that seems like too great a lagniappe to hope for.

Yes, Didi is a loss. Didi was one of my son's favorite players. A few years ago he spent his own money to my an authentic #18 jersey. It set him back about $120 bucks or so, and he wore it with pride both times we saw the Yankees last season. I was wearing my #2 jersey, and I liked that generational symbolism. Anyway, I haven't told him yet, and I don't look forward to it.

1978 with chaos and glory:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

1980s with a handful of great stars and no rings:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

1990 with 95 losses and Tim Leary's rotation-leading nine wins:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

1996 with lovable guys, huge chemistry, sister nuns, Cinderella victory:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

1998 like 1996 but somehow more lovable and more successful:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

Early 2000s dynasty decline, Anaheim playoff exits:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

Last couple of years with exciting, young, home-grown talent:
"They're so arrogant and win with money. I hate the Yankees."

So screw it. If every palooka in Palookaville has already decided the Yankees are evil, they may as well be evil.

Go get 'em, guys. Crush all in your path. March on a road of bones.

Just from reviewing the peanut galleries of several baseball sites/blogs, the Yankeehate is as searing as ever. As one of my favorite memes stated, "All these flavors... and you choose to be salty!"

We knew that signing Cole was going to come at a hard cost... the money makes our heads spin (for now), but sacrificing Didi is really hard to swallow. I won't let it ruin me, but man the business of sports really sucks sometimes.

Nevertheless, that kind of money sure buys a whole lot of hope!

The irony here is that we needed more guys like Didi in the playoffs last year. Sure, an ace is great but it was the all or nothing offense that was the bugaboo. Our pitchers and bullpen were great. (This also is a credit to aces like Cole, who kept our guys from hitting too). Didi wasn't playing up to his potential last year and it was obvious that he wasn't right.

Perhaps they can trade Happ, Andujar and Frazier and get higher OBP player with good defense and hits for average? LeMahieu and Gleyber are position players that you can build around. If the Yanks got Lindor now, fans of other teams heads would explode.

If Didi had gone someplace for five years and $90M or something like that, it would've made sense for him to leave, and it would've made sense for the Yankees to let him go. A one-year deal? I can't imagine the Yankees wouldn't have loved to have had him back for that same contract or even a bit more. On yesterday's Hot Stove show on YES -- obviously filmed before the Cole signing -- they were thinking the same, and they even wondered if maybe Didi had slipped through the cracks while the entire organization was focused on the Gerrit Cole pursuit. I'd be surprised if that were the case, though. I think the Yankees had simply moved on.

[14] With that kind of deal, it's easy to move him if he's playing well and Philly is not. Cynically speaking, it could give the Yanks some time to see if he returns to form on someone else's dime and then offer a sweet deal if they want/need him either at the trade deadline or next off-season. I don't know if he takes the deal he got if Joey G. is not there.

I would anticipate such a move if Girardi decides to use him the same way the Yanks used DJ to keep his bat in the lineup every day (and it works as well as it did for DJ).

So great to see the Yankees return to doing what it takes to win, while other rich teans (..coughRedSoxcough..) plan to trade THEIR BEST PLAYER AND POSSIBLE HALLOFFAMER (..coughMookieBettscough..)

[9] No chance Stanton ever would opt out that deal, not after this last lost season..?

So Cole gets a contract that pays him $36 million a year and has an opt out after 5 years? I guess Boras is thinking that Aces will be getting $50 million a year in 2025?

I'm a Didi booster, and whether or not he ever comes back I'll have happy memories of rooting for him in pinstripes. But right now that is requiring me to consciously wait out a bad taste from his last game with the Yankees.

Third inning. Two outs. Bases loaded. Down two runs in an elimination game.

Ryan Pressly comes in from the bullpen and his very first pitch is a curveball.

Didi swings at it and grounds back to the box. Inning over, threat over.

It takes a lot of little failures to lose a game, some of which you don't see at the time, some of which stick out. Chapman's last pitch to Altuve? Catastrophe, but that's the cookie crumbling. Didi throwing away a rally like that? That's not an unfortunate athletic outcome. That's dumb.

Yeah, I'll get over it. Didi's a solid guy. But that's where my brain is at the moment. [end venting]

Yay, Gardy's back.

I admittedly was puzzled why they brought back Gardy last year, as I thought they had a really young talented (cheaper) option in Frazier, but you have to trust that the Yanks know their personnel. I worry that if Big Red isn't traded soon, they might have him ruining the trade value if he languishes in the minors.

Gardy was underpaid last year, and with Hicks down, he knows he will earn the salary this year. His determination and leadership are amazing, and if he thinks (as he likely did last year) that this is his last year with the Yanks, we might get something special again.

Tauchman and Wade will likely still get some time and Frazier too, if they keep him. Judge and especially Stanton, haven't proven that they can stay off the DL consistently. Judge is still young, but Stanton is a bit of a mess physically, and might be better served DHing more.

Happy Gardy is back, sorry to see Romaine gone. BTW, the NATS are desparate need for a 3rd baseman. Don't know what they can offer the Yanks, but little Miggy would be an interesting target for them.

[19] Came here to post that ... All Hail Gazoo! (my new nickname for GGBG).

So Lettuce gets a starting gig, good for him even if it's the sad sack Tigers.

[23] He earned it. Even if the Yanks part ways with Sanchez at any point or permanently move him from behind the dish, there's already another catcher in the system destined to surpass Romine and his name ain't Kyle (whom I can't quite understand why they'd trust the backup role to)...

*cue "Are Athletes Paid Too Much???" by every yuckmouth call-in, talk show host and sports page dreg in America because the F$%&in' New York Yankees paid the best pitcher in free agency $324 million, while conveniently ignoring the fact that the Los Angeles Angels extended the contract of the best player in baseball with $426.5 million the year before with everyone standing around with their mouths open and nothing coming out* >;)

Mad Bum to Dbacks and Rangers got Kluber from Cleveland.

Market is moving much more swiftly this year.

I don’t consider the Cole contract an overlay. Strasburg had a lot of injuries and he’s making bank.

I have a feeling that the Stanton contract will be a bust but Cole will put at least 2-3 rings on the Yanks fingers.

[25] Regarding "Are Athletes Paid too much???, think on this:Taylor Swift made $185 million last year, Kylie Jenner $170 million, and Kanye West $150 million. Even Doctor Phil made $95 million. Not a one of them could hit a curve. And let's not start talking about corporate CEOs making (Elon Musk $530 million, Bob Iger $146 million).

[27] Yeah, umm... pretty sure that Kanye can hit a curve...

[28] I guess he can

#24

https://viewsfrom314ft.com/kyle-higashiokas-elite-pitch-framing-skill-may-make-him-2020-backup/

[30] Oh good. Then he needs to get with Marcus about his bat >;)