An "ouch" heard from Florida to NYC:
The Athletic reports:
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo an MRI on his right elbow, manager Aaron Boone told reporters in Tampa on Monday.
Boone said it’s “been more of a challenge” for Cole to recover in between his outings. Cole has only pitched in one spring training game thus far but has thrown live batting practices in lieu of spring starts.
Cole, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, has been one of the most durable pitchers of his generation. He’s never been on the injured list for an arm injury and has eclipsed 200 innings five times in his 11-year career.
And Yankees are being held below $300 million, so their budget might not let them sign Soto unless on a contract that defers some money:
If New York felt it needed to bolster its depth, reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell and former Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery remain free agents, but Hal Steinbrenner has expressed reservation over the team exceeding a $300 million payroll. If New York signed any remaining free agent, it would be taxed at a 110 percent rate on every dollar spent in 2024.
I think the author means that the Yankees would be taxed 110% on every dollar above the luxury tax, rather than their entire 2024 salary spend. But still...
https://theathletic.com/5332795/2024/03/11/gerrit-cole-right-elbow-mri/
