The Yankees are in pursuit of free agent Gerrit Cole. Here's the latest...

Dec. 10, 11:20 PM:

Wednesday could be the day of reckoning in the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes.

According to reports from both Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Cole could make his decision as soon as Wednesday.

While "mystery teams" are said to be in on Cole, it now sounds as if the three finalists to land the right-hander are the Yankees, Angels, and Dodgers. Verducci has reported that the Dodgers are "heavily in the mix," while the Astros -- who were thought to be one of the mystery teams -- likely won't have an impact on Cole's choice.

Verducci also reiterated that Cole's eventual contract will likely be in the neighborhood of $300 million over eight years.

Dec. 10, 9:05 PM:

It appears that another west coast team may be in the running for Cole's services. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has reported that the Giants may be the second 'mystery team' Scott Boras was refering to when he spoke to the media at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday.

Feinsand also alluded to the Astros being the other 'mystery team' in pursuit of Cole, which The Post's Joel Sherman reported earlier in the day on Tuesday.

Dec. 10, 5:40 PM:

Boras said near the end of his press conference that there were two 'mystery teams' vying for Cole's services, it appears that the Houston Astros are, in fact, one of those teams, a source reportedly told The Post's Joel Sherman after the presser.

It appears that the threat of the Yankees signing Cole -- plus concerns about their own rotation -- has given the Astros some second thoughts on potentially letting him go.

Video: Murti: "Yankees have made this their #1 target."

Dec. 10, 3:30 PM:

Scott Boras held his annual presser at the Winter Meetings Tuesday and spoke on Cole's free agency.

"The Cole negotiations with all clubs are very positive. The Yankees and a lot of the other teams involved in this did a great job," Boras said.

Boras added that Cole's free agency could be resolved "in the short term," and that "it's logical" that Cole will secure a larger contract than Stephen Strasburg considering his age and being a high strikeout pitcher.

Dec. 10, 1:00 PM:

It was just a matter of time, and that time has now arrived. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network has heard there's a "mystery team" in the mix for Cole.

"No idea the identity of said team, but that's why it's a mystery," Heyman tweeted.

The Yankees and Angels are currently viewed as the main suitors for Cole, and the Dodgers have also been mentioned.

Dec. 10, 10:36 AM:

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Yankees officially made their first offer to Cole on Monday night. The numbers of that deal are unknown, but Heyman believes there "seems to be negotiating to do."

After Stephen Strasburg's record-setting deal, Cole's market could truly be north of $280 million, closer to the $300 million threshold. The competition for Cashman & Co. continues to be the Angels followed by the wild card in the Dodgers.

Dec. 9, 8:49 PM:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is set to show the money on Monday, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

The Yankees are reportedly going to submit an offer to Cole during opening day of the MLB Winter Meetings. The report also indicates that the Angels are "highly motivated" while the Dodgers are also described as a "threat" in the Cole sweepstakes. However, the Dodgers could be more interested in Nationals slugger Anthony Rendon.

Dec. 9, 6:27 PM:

Gerrit Cole's contract is likely to be well over the $300-million mark, The Post's Joel Sherman reports. Sherman estimates that the offer could be around nine years worth $324 million.

It appears the record Stephen Strasburg set earlier on Monday for largest contract signed by a starting pitcher won't be lasting very long.

Dec. 9, 3:56 PM:

The Angels are being "very aggressive" when it comes to Cole, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

With Stephen Strasburg signing a seven-year deal worth $245 million on Monday to return to the Nationals, the Cole market could start to move quickly. And his price just went up.

The Yankeees have back-burnered other business while they pursue Cole and seek to close out negotiations, Martino reported over the weekend.

Dec. 9, 3:08 PM:

Stephen Strasburg signing a record deal to return to the Nationals will have its effect on Cole's market now.

According to MLB's Jon Morosi, Cole's market is "developing quickly," and there's a large chance he will sign during the Winter Meetings.

If there wasn't pressure on Brian Cashman before, it has increased tremendously now. Strasburg signed a seven-year deal worth $245 million, which is now the largest contract dished out to a starting pitcher. That probably won't last long because of Cole's pedigree, and it'll be up to Cashman to truly break out the big bucks to sign Cole.

But, of course, it's the pitcher's decision in the end. The Post's Joel Sherman is hearing the Yankees' plan on Monday was to submit a formal bid offer for Cole, and that offer may have to be reconfigured a bit after the Strasburg announcement.

Dec. 9, 12:51 PM:

With Cole's camp insisting that he doesn't have a "west coast bias," SNY's Andy Martino reported Monday that as of today, the Yankees' main competition for Cole appears to be the Angels -- not the Dodgers.

Bob Klapisch of the New York Times reported on Sunday that the Yanks have a seven-year, $245 million deal on the table for Cole.

Dec. 8, 8:27 PM:

The Athletic's Jayson Stark found out the price that it may take to land Cole, with one MLB executive saying that it could be between $250 and $280 million. But in his piece, another executive told him something a little more glaring.

"An executive of one team said this weekend he originally expected these discussions to linger into late January or February but now wouldn't be surprised if they get resolved in the next couple of weeks," Stark wrote.

The market has already moved for starters, with Zack Wheeler signing a five-year, $118 million deal with the Phillies. So teams may be getting more aggressive, and Cole, as Stark says, is "aggressively involved in setting the timing" of contract talks. He may want to make a deal sooner rather than later, and Scott Boras' usual long negotiating timetable may not be the case with MLB's top free agent.

Dec. 8, 2:17 PM:

According to New York Times' Bob Klapisch, the Yankees have a seven-year, $245 million deal on the table for Cole. That deal would be the richest contract ever given to a starting pitcher at $35 million per season, which would surpass Zack Greinke's $34.4 million.

But that's just the first deal we're hearing about. That could definitely change if the Yankees' competitors for Cole ends up going higher, or making it more years. Still, the Yankees gave GM Brian Cashman the ok to open the check book, and that's certainly a good start.

Dec. 7, 2:21 PM:

The Yankees have "backburnered" all other business while they try to finish off negotiations with Gerrit Cole, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Earlier in the week, Ken Rosenthal said that negotiations with Cole were expected to last through January, but it appears the Yankees mean business and have accelerated that timeline.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that teams will be making initial offers to Cole in the coming days, and that the Yankees are favorites along with both the Dodgers and Angels.

Dec. 7, 12:28 PM:

The Yankees have their "total focus" on landing Cole, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Heyman also mentions that the Phillies, Rangers, Dodgers and Angels are also interested in the right-hander, but as SNY's Andy Martino noted earlier in the week, Cole is the Yankees' primary offseason target.

Dec. 6, 9:24 AM:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman updated the team's pursuits of Cole and Stephen Strasburg on Friday.

"Like all players in free agency, they want to really gage the clear landscape and all the opportunities that really exist," Cashman said, according to the YES Network. "They're gonna give whatever weight to location, league, team, teammates, what they want to give. Whether it's west, midwest, east, there's so many factors that are gonna go into their decision-making."

There has been a thought that Cole prefers to sign with a team on the west coast, such as the Dodgers or Angels (who have both met with him), but he reportedly "assured" the Yankees during their meeting that he had no "west coast bias."

As far as Strasburg, there has been a belief that he is likely to return to the Nationals, though owner Mark Lerner said on Thursday that the team can't afford to retain both Strasburg and fellow free agent Anthony Rendon. That could potentially throw a wrench into things.

"It creates an amazing opportunity but it's also -- I'm sure it's stressful times for them and their families too, because obviously the better you are, the more choices you really have," Cashman continued about Cole and Strasburg. You can kind of go anywhere at times. So I think they're I'm sure gonna be very thorough with their process."

Dec. 5, 8:17 PM:

ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported that not only have the Yankees made signing Cole their top priority, which SNY's Andy Martino has previously noted, but that the team now has "ownership-level approval to offer him a record deal."

The current record deal for a pitcher is held by David Price, who signed a seven-year, $217 million deal with the Red Sox in December 2015.

Martino reported on Thursday that Cole is the Yankees 'primary target,' and that the team has squared their focus on signing him, and, to a lesser degree, Stephen Strasburg.

Cole met with the Yankees on Tuesday.

Dec. 5, 9:18 AM:

Cole has "assured" the Yankees he does not have a "West Coast bias," Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday night.

There have been some -- including the Yankees, as SNY's Andy Martino has reported -- who believe Cole might prefer to sign with a team in California, where he grew up.

As the Yankees continue their pursuit of Cole, they are also interested in Stephen Strasburg, but Martino reported on Wednesday that Cole is their primary target.

Dec. 4, 2:18 PM:

In addition to the Yankees, the Angels and Dodgers have met face-to-face with Cole, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Dec. 4, 8:36 AM:

The Yankees had a "very nice" first meeting with Cole on Tuesday, reports Jon Heyman, who adds that money was not specifically discussed.

Heyman added that when it comes to the Yankees' pursuit of Cole, "the dollars will be there."

Cole is the Yankees' top target, SNY's Andy Martino reported on Tuesday that the Yankees want Cole more than they've wanted a top free agent in years, adding that New York is trying to balance their pursuit of Cole with potential pursuits of at least two other starting pitchers -- Zack Wheeler and Madison Bumgarner.

Dec. 3, 1:34 PM:

The Yankees are meeting with Cole on Tuesday in Southern California, reports Jon Heyman.

Dec. 2, 11:50 PM:

The Yankees plan on sitting down with Cole (and Stephen Strasburg) over the next couple days, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Sources also tell Rosenthal that the Yankees are making Cole "a priority." Even though the Winter Meetings begin next week, Rosenthal says negotiations for Cole are likely to extend into January.

Nov. 26, 12:07 PM:

There is a "general industry perception" that Cole prefers to sign with a team on the west coast, reports SNY's Andy Martino, who adds that the Yankees don't have any "specific information" that indicates Cole would choose a team in California over them.

However, while the Yankees are still in on Cole, Martino adds that there is also a perception that the Angels are prepared to "go bonkers" in pursuit of Cole and "spend whatever it takes" to land him.

Nov. 26, 9:18 AM:

Jon Heyman said Monday on MLB Tonight that he thinks Cole will "probably" wind up on the west coast or east coast, and that while the Yankees are a "possibility," they're not counting on Cole winding up there.

"The Yankees believe that he's probably going to go to the Angels," Heyman said. "But either of them would not shock me."

Nov. 25, 8:18 AM:

The Dodgers have interest in signing Cole (and Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon), but there's a caveat, reports Jon Heyman.

According to Heyman, the Dodgers have set "valuations" for what they feel the three biggest names on the market are worth and "intend to remain disciplined" when it comes to their pursuits.

Cole, who is thought to prefer the west coast, could be a perfect fit for the Dodgers, who could lose Hyun-jin Ryu in free agency and are experiencing what appears to be the downside of Clayton Kershaw's career.

As far as the Yankees, the latest -- per SNY's Andy Martino -- has them "initially lukewarm" on Zack Wheeler (who could sign quickly) when compared to the potential of landing Cole.

Nov. 18, 9:08 AM:

There have been whispers that the California native Cole's preference is to sign with a team on the west coast, but one of those teams might not be in pursuit.

The Giants might not "feel it's time" to go after the biggest free agents such as Cole or Anthony Rendon, Kerry Crowley of The Mercury News noted on Monday.

While the Giants might not be a threat to land Cole, they could make a play for Zack Wheeler, writes Crowley.

Nov, 15, 9:01 AM:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman updated where things stand with Cole and fellow free agent Stephen Strasburg.

"Everything we're getting right now is information, we're either providing (or) expressing interest," Cashman said. "You get some definition of -- depending on the agent -- of what might be."

Nov. 13, 7:40 PM:

Super-agent Scott Boras, who represents Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon, spoke about how his clients might view the Yankees.

"Each franchise has windows of opportunity," Boras said. "I think everybody, when they talk about the Yankees, I think everyone views them as a now team. They view them as a club that is very capable of being really, really successful over a four-year or so period.

"And certainly, they're in a great place to take advantage of that. To the levels they want to take advantage of it, to the probabilities they want to, I can say this: I certainly have some ideas that might increase their probabilities."

Nov. 12, 11:47 AM:

Cole is unlikely to sign until January at the earliest, SNY's Andy Martino reported.

While Cole could be on the market for a long time, the markets for Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon should move faster than expected.

Nov. 11, 10:23 PM:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed the team plans to pursue Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

"We're going to talk to Strasburg. We're going to talk to Cole," Cashman said, while adding that he does not have a directive to get under the $208 million luxury tax threshold. "We're going to talk to the higher-end guys and talk to some surprise guys I'm sure. It's hard to predict, but obviously anybody would have interest in players like that."

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