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A Scott Boras client, the clock has always been ticking on Gerrit Cole in a Pirates uniform.
Has the unlikelihood of being a contender in 2017 to go with Jameson Taillon’s ascend and Ivan Nova giving the Pirates top of the rotation results, moved the timetable to trade Cole up?
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The whispers are starting to emerge.
ESPN’s Buster Olney names Gerrit Cole as one of the big name pitchers who could be dealt at the trade deadline if the Pirates are out of the race.
The reason for that isn’t just the obvious that Cole will hit free agency after the 2019 season.
Olney notes “some teams thought Pittsburgh was prepared to listen last year” on Cole.
Chatter over the winter was that the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers made serious inquiries into Cole’s availability at the 2016 deadline.
Pirate management will certainly be in even more of a listening mode at the trade deadline and this off-season, as if you’re going to move Cole, the time to get the best haul is when he has at least 2 years of control left.
Cole while often dogged for not evolving into the ace many imagined, he has shown improved ‘stuff’ this season and would land a big return.
The Pirates following a 10-3 loss to the Marlins today, sit in last place in the NL Central with an 11-13 record but are just 2.5 games back of first. [/hide]
