According to radio personality Joey Vendetta, the Toronto Blue Jays made a massive offer to pitcher Gerrit Cole before he eventually signed with the Yankees.
Vendetta appeared on the Fan 590 radio station yesterday and informed the Toronto radio station listeners that the Blue Jays reportedly made Gerrit Cole a $300 million dollar offer in an attempt to lure the free agent north of the border.
"“I heard from a reliable source, a very reliable source, someone that knows the front office, that’s involved in the running of the team,” said Vendetta. “They offered $300 million dollars to Gerrit Cole to become a Toronto Blue Jay.”"
Cole wound up signing for $324 million with the Yankees but this latest rumour could go a long way in building some trust between the Blue Jays front office and their fanbase. Ross Atkins and company came good on their word that they were being aggressive this offseason when they landed Hyun-Jin Ryu just a few days ago.
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Unfortunately for the Jays, Cole was never going to sign anywhere on the eastern seaboard other than in New York. It was Orange County or bust for Cole if the Yankees had not stepped up and outbid the California based teams.
We may never get the truth from the front office about this alleged offer but it is reassuring and bodes well for the team’s future moving forward. The upcoming roster moves in the next month or so should forecast just how quick this rebuild is going to be and if they plan on being legitimate contenders in 2020.
The Jays may have not won the bid for Cole but it puts a smile on my face to know that the brain trust gave it the proverbial college try in an attempt to land the ace. Is it baseball season yet?