Yankees, Gerrit Cole staying together on current deal with extension talks coming

The Yankees are keeping their ace.

The Yankees and Gerrit Cole opted to stay together with the same four-year, $144 million deal, but with an understanding that extension talks would begin soon, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.

Cole opted out of his deal on Saturday, putting the pressure on the Yankees to add a fifth year at $36 million.

The two sides have now found a middle ground.

After missing the start of the season due to an elbow injury, Cole recorded a 3.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 95 innings across 17 starts during the regular season, a year after capturing his first Cy Young award.

Cole had a 2.17 ERA in five starts during the 2024 playoffs, though his failure to cover first base was part of a disastrous defensive fifth inning in Game 5 of the World Series in which the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead.

The decision is just one of several crucial ones ahead this offseason with Juan Soto now a free agent and a crowded field of suitors ready to compete with the Yankees for his services.