The Dodgers have found their stride again in 2024, with 11 victories in 15 games, just in time for the long run to the MLB playoffs. L.A. fans have seen enough in recent years to be cautiously optimistic about any postseason scenario, but there’s little doubt that this team is built to win now and has a championship window that looks to be open for a few years.
But if the last five months have taught us anything, it’s that no club, no matter how well built, can ever have enough pitching. So, as the focus shifts from 2024 to 2025, expect the Dodgers to look long and hard about how to order their starting pitchers.
The squad does not have many clear commitments on the mound after this year. Thus, if they wanted to make a free-agent splash, they may contemplate an unexpected pursuit of one of the top names on the market: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, the 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner.
Dodgers Could Seek Starting Pitching This Offseason
That’s according to Bleacher Report analyst Kerry Miller, who examined the probable outcomes of Cole’s free agency in a piece headlined “Landing Spots for Gerrit Cole amid Opt-Out Rumors of Yankees Contract.”
Miller ranks the Dodgers fourth among probable Cole destinations. Indeed, the Dodgers may have place for Cole in the 2025 rotation, since their only committed commitments are Tyler Glasnow and rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They’re almost guaranteed to bring back Gavin Stone, and there’s some evidence that Shohei Ohtani may want to return to the mound.
The Dodgers might potentially offer Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller another chance to earn a job. Signing Cole does not appear to be a priority, except that the Dodgers desperately need some experienced playoff performances. As Miller wrote:
“Cole is a true October ace, with a 2.93 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 17 career postseason starts. If the Dodgers’ pitching fails again this season, they may invest heavily to prevent a repeat in 2025.
“If they sign Cole, there will be a terrible pressure point in 2027, when they already owe almost $120 million to Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Glasnow, and Yamamoto. That’s tomorrow’s concern, however.”
Gerrit Cole’s Contract Allows Yankees an Option to Keep Him
There is a more serious issue with potentially signing Cole, whether for the Dodgers or anyone else. That’s due to an unusual provision in his contract that permits him to opt out of his nine-year, $324 million contract after this season—unless the Yankees act quickly.
Cole may opt out of the final four years of his contract this winter, which is why there is some talk regarding his free agency. However, the Yankees can eliminate Cole’s option by adding another year and $36 million to the contract, bringing it to $360 million over ten years.
The consensus is that the Yankees will do so. Cole has been a consistent starter throughout his career, including stops in Pittsburgh and Houston before signing with the Yankees in 2020. He is 151-78 in 12 MLB seasons, with a 3.18 ERA, and has twice led the league in strikeouts.
He sustained an elbow injury earlier this season and will be 34 this week, prompting some questions about his future. However, Cole is 6-3 this season with a 3.58 ERA.
The one stumbling block that might lead to Cole’s free agency is Juan Soto, the Yankees outfielder who could set a free agency record this offseason. If a bidding battle for Soto raised the Yankees’ payroll too high, the franchise might let Cole depart.
