If you're in charge, do you let Gerrit Cole walk or pay him?

Scott Bora is Cole's agent, thats a no for me dawg

 

To be fair, many weren't counting on a Verlander extension. Hell, plenty were scoffing that an Altuve extension would be a possibility ("he's going to stick it to the team for low-balling him all these years!").

Cole deserves to be the highest paid pitcher in baseball, and if the Astros can't offer him that, that's it... end of story.

However, if they win it all this year (with the extra revenue generated), it really comes down to whether or not ownership wants to pay the luxury tax during the remaining Verlander years. They could conceivably structure a Scherzer-like deal... which will never work out well long-term, but pay major dividends during the prime Cole years.

They also need to decide on Springer NOW (this off-season)... and I doubt they do much for Correa until he shows he can stay healthy, but they also have at least another full year (plus his FA year) to see how it plays out.

 

It'll be a shame to see him go but his real test will be the playoffs. Verlander pitched like a playoff stud in '17. Can Cole?

 

It's a landslide vote. No discounts. You get what you pay for. Just pay the man what he deserves.

 

For me this comes down to either letting Springer and Correa walk to re-sign Cole.

The Greinke trade means the end of Cole in Houston. It's sad, but hopefully Cole leaves with a ring on his finger.

 

You have to try and sign Cole.
Try and lock him up at 5-6 years 33 mill per.

Even if it means trading Greinke during the off-season

However if it gets crazy and goes 40 million per for 8.... have to let him walk

 

You let Correa walk... no long term contract with back issues.
Correa is a stud.... at the moment not worth a long term contract risk

 

No... but I bet the Astros offer him a solid contract to stay.
33-34 per for 5-6 years

 

In baseball? Naw dude. The top dollar is getting his service.

 

I can see the Astros offering Cole 5 years at 36 mll per year. He'll probably get 7 years 38 million or something. He's going to seriously get paid in the offseason by someone and I don't see the Astros going 7 years on him.

 

There have been more than a few whispers leaked that they would do all that they could to trade Greinke if it meant keeping Cole. I've even read about the Stros trading him back to AZ, but it's all just rumors even though these people who are talking have ties to the org.

 

I would try to sign him, but if a bidding war breaks out (which it will), I would let him walk.

Let's just enjoy him while he's here.

 

I always though a Verlander extension was completely realistic due to his age.

Heading into the year I thought there was an outside chance we came to an agreement with Cole, in a lot of ways his situation mirrored Altuves, but the Greinke deal slammed it completely shut.

Then why wouldn't we have already made that offer? If we were going to do so, it would have happened.

 

Maybe they did, and maybe he said no.

 

Then that's the end of it.

That's my whole point. Any Cole action would have happened if it was going to.

 

I'll join this convo after the post season to see how the team and he performed individually. Until season is over it's not.

 

He did say in spring training that he did not want to talk about any negotiations until after the season. Or Boras told him to say that which would be obvious.

 

I'm sure they approached him with some numbers... Cole decided to bet on himself... and boy did he make the right decision.

The Greinke deal was not done solely as a Cole replacement option. Turns out they did really need a 3rd viable SP option given Miley's dead arm, or whatever is ailing him in this career year of innings pitched.

Again, if they want to be in luxury tax hell by making Cole the highest paid pitcher in baseball (or ever), its their choice to make. He's gone from being an all-talent, but ultimately dissapointing #1 overall pick, to one of the best pitchers of this era... having one of the best season's in modern history.

They could also try to find the next "Cole"... another established starter about to head into arbitration years, not living up to hype.

 

JV is not in his prime, and none of those players involved free agency. When is the last time the Astros won a free agency bidding war for an in-demand player?

Top free agents are almost always overpaid because of the "it just takes one crazy team" issue, and that's not the Astros' way. Let's not forget that last year, lots of people here thought Harper or Machado would put the Astros over the top and that $30MM/10 years was totally reasonable. They would be the 7th or 8th best hitters on the team today.

 

When is the last time we truly went after one? Honestly I just cant seem to recall?