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New York Post | Joel Sherman: Reports were already going around that the Yankees were planning to offer a record-setting contract to Gerrit Cole, but that record may be going up quite a bit. On Monday, the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg agreed to a seven-year, $245 million deal and the speculation is that Cole’s contract will exceed $300 million. As of now, the Angels look like Yankees’ primary competition for the ace.
New York Post | Joel Sherman: One way the Yankees may try to offset any potential Cole deal would be to offload J.A. Happ’s contract. The Yankees are described as “actively trying to trade Happ.” Because of what’s owed to him, they might need to attach some sort of prospect or eat some of the money if they were to send him somewhere else.
SNY | Danny Abriano: It’s not just Cole news today, as a market may starting to form around Didi Gregorius. Reports around the winter meetings are saying that the shortstop could get a multi-year deal in the range of $15 million a year. Other reports indicate that the Yankees would be unlikely to bring him back if that is the case.
New York Post | George A. King III: Joe Girardi is around in his new capacity as Phillies’ manager, and not shockingly, he was asked about the last series he managed, the 2017 ALCS. The big story, at least up to this point, of the offseason has been the Astros’ sign stealing controversy, which is mainly focused in that 2017 season. Girardi admitted that he was suspicious, but added that he’s that way everywhere he manages and that he thinks the Yankees did a good job in trying to combat those fears.