The Yankees and Gerrit Cole agreed to a nine-year, $324 million contract earlier this week, the longest and most expensive ever signed by a Major League pitcher.

Heading into the offseason, Cole was the biggest name on the market, and the Yankees were prepared to spare no expense when it came to landing last year's runner-up for the American League Cy Young award. The right-hander was said to have preferred the a team on the west coast as his landing spot, but the Yankees were able to convince Cole to don the pinstripes for the forseeable future.

It's easy to say that Cole had 324 million different reasons to become the ace of the Yankees' staff, but according to his agent, Scott Boras, it didn't come down to dollars and cents as much as it did wins and losses.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Believing that other teams used technology to decode signs, a group of Houston Astros asked the organization for access to a live feed from a centerfield camera in 2017. 

They did not install a new camera for sign-stealing purposes, and the players and coaches involved did not even know which camera the feed was coming from. They wanted a monitor closer to the dugout, because their video room was too far away. They considered their actions to be in line with industry standards.

The above narrative represents the picture painted by some of the interviews conducted by MLB investigators this fall, according to sources with direct knowledge of the investigation. The league has already spoken with nearly 60 people, and SNY can now report some of what they have learned.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Yankees left the Winter Meetings having secured their big fish by inking Gerrit Cole to a record deal. They also brought back Brett Gardner.

But while GM Brian Cashman has checked off his biggest needs, there is still some work to be done.

Here's what should still be on the Yankees' agenda with about two months to go until spring training begins in Tampa...

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Winter Meetings will never be what they once were, when GMs exchanged trade proposals on cocktail napkins at the bar and even occasionally agreed to a late-night deal without a spreadsheet in sight. 

That said, however, baseball's annual gathering of executives and media this week in San Diego at least came to life again for the first time in a few years, delivering the action everyone wanted to see in the form of mega-million dollar free-agent signings. 

It was an extremely busy Winter Meetings this year out in San Diego and SNY was there to cover it all.

Take a look at the many highlights of this year's Meetings....

As is custom on the final day of MLB Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 Draft was conducted to close out the festivities, and the Yankees saw a few players poached from their system. 

During the Major League portion of the Draft, RHP Rony Garcia was selected by the Tigers from the Yankees. 

Garcia began the 2019 season in High-A Tampa last season, where he pitched to a 2.16 ERA over five games. That quick success saw him move to Double-A Trenton, where he leveled out a bit. He had a 4.44 ERA over 20 starts with 104 strikeouts to 38 walks. He also owned a 1.25 WHIP with the Thunder. 

Other than Garcia, the Yankees saw a few prospects leave in the Triple-A phase. Among them were RHP Hobie Harris (Blue Jays), RHP Will Carter (White Sox), RHP Raynel Espinal (Red Sox), and INF Wendell Rijo (Braves). 

It looks like Austin Romine is going to have to make peace with Miguel Cabrera, as the catcher has agreed to a one-year deal with the Tigers, per The Post's Joel Sherman. The deal is worth $4.15 million.

Romine infamously fought Cabrera while the Yankees were in Detroit last season, but they'll likely put that aside when they both make it to Lakeland, Fla. for Spring Training. 

As for New York, they will be without the man that held the backup catcher role for the past four seasons. Romine also had his best year at the plate in 2019, slashing .281/.310/.439 with eight homers and 35 RBI over 72 games. 

The Yankees have landed their big fish in Gerrit Cole, but they might not be done just yet. Here's the latest from MLB Winter Meetings...

Dec. 12, 8:59 PM: 

The Yankees may have been the biggest winners at this year's Winter Meetings, as they leave San Diego with Gerrit Cole in agreement to come to New York. 

It has long been reported that Brett Gardner would be returning to the Yankees for his 13th season, and now it's official. 

SNY's Andy Martino confirmed that Gardner has signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2021 to stay in the Bronx. The deal is worth $12.5 million for this season, with the option set at $10 million. 

The Yankees had their efforts focused on landing Gerrit Cole, which is why Gardner was left on the backburner until now. But, as Martino had been reporting, both sides were optimistic a deal would get done. 

The Yankees may have landed their top free agent in Gerrit Cole, but if you think they're done looking to improve their 2020 roster, then you don't know GM Brian Cashman. 

Cashman has noted that maybe shoring up the bullpen some more would be in the cards, and that's exactly what he's doing in his reported calls to the Brewers on LHP Josh Hader. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Yanks "have been the most active pursuer of Hader."

Rosenthal says, though, that a deal with anyone would be unlikely. Hader is one of the game's best, young relievers with a career 2.42 ERA over 204.2 innings over three seasons in Milwaukee, and had 37 saves in his first full season as the team's closer last year. He's only 25 years old and under team control for the next four seasons, which is why -- according to Rosenthal -- the Brewers want a top prospect in any trade package. 

The Yankees are reportedly showing interest in free agent C Martin Maldonado, per MLB's Mark Feinsand.

As you can see from the picture above, you may know why that's the case. Maldonado joined the Astros toward the end of the regular season, playing 27 games before his five games in the postseason. And during those games, Gerrit Cole was on the mound for 10 of them, and saw some of his best numbers of the season. 

Feinsand has Cole owning a 1.57 ERA over those starts with a .471 opponent OPS, which he says are Cole's lowest numbers among any catcher he threw to in 2019. 

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The long-awaited scientific findings on the 2019 baseball were released on Wednesday, and the conclusions likely aren't going to satisfy pitchers throughout the majors who were convinced MLB intentionally juiced the ball to fly farther and produce more home runs.

Yet at least there is reason to believe Noah Syndergaard wasn't crazy when he kept complaining that he couldn't throw his slider as effectively in the past -- due to a decrease in the height of the seams on some of the balls that apparently contributed to the record-breaking number of home runs.

And maybe there is now even more reason to believe the Mets should gamble on signing free-agent reliever Blake Treinen, whose fall from dominance with the A's last season was due largely to the ineffectiveness of his sinker -- thought to be at least partly related to lower seams on the ball.

Reading into Yankees manager Aaron Boone's latest comments, it sounds like Dellin Betances won't be in a Yankee uniform in 2020. 

Boone spoke Wednesday about his team's bullpen, and it didn't sound like he believed a big move, like bringing Betances back, was coming. 

"We're really confident and...[with] a lot of the pitchers we have a lot of the depth, we have a lot of people that are still coming up through and [can be] ready to potentially make an impact on our roster," Boone told The Daily News' Kristie Ackert.  

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

SAN DIEGO -- The Yankees had agreed to a deal with Gerrit Cole hours earlier, but the world didn't know it yet. A few minutes past eight on Tuesday night, Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and most of the front office left the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego for some fresh air and dinner at Seasons 52, a restaurant next door.

The group was happy, of course, but somewhat subdued, given the magnitude of the news -- save for Boone, that is, who quietly pumped his fist several times during the short walk, much to the amusement of his co-workers.

Cashman and Co. have been doing this way too long to hoot and holler and act like they'd won anything. Sure, they'd landed their top free agent target, but they still haven't seen the World Series in ten years, and still haven't turned the "Baby Bombers" brand into another generation of Yankee champions.

With the Yankees landing Gerrit Cole and transforming their starting rotation in the process, the question becomes how Cole will perform in 2020 and beyond.

Cole became a dominant force after joining the Astros, posting a 2.68 ERA/2.67 FIP and 0.96 WHIP with 602 strikeouts (13.1 per 9) in 412.2 IP in 2018 and 2019.

So how will Cole fare in 2020 during what will be the first year of his nine-year deal?

Gerrit Cole is going to the Yankees, and the fans weren't the only ones celebrating on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

While the players didn't mention Cole by name since the deal isn't official, their sly tweets made it clear what they were talking about.

Click below to see...

The Gerrit Cole negotiations, once thought to be likely to drag into January, wrapped up on Tuesday night when the Yankees exerted their financial might and blew the other competitors out of the water.

With Cole on board for nine years at $324 million, the Yankees have added one of the best pitchers in baseball to a team that has been trying to get over the hump of the ALCS.

Click below to see how the back pages in NYC reacted...

A Brett Gardner signing is likely coming soon, SNY's Andy Martino reported early Wednesday morning.

As the Yankees focused their efforts on landing Gerrit Cole, which they did on Tuesday night, they have remained optimistic about a reunion with Gardner, Martino has reported, noting that the Gardner situation could potentially resolve when the Yankees' payroll situation was clearer.

In November, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was open about the team's desire to have Gardner back, and wouldn't say whether he felt it would take more than a one-year deal to get it done.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

In the end, the Yankees wanted to leave no doubt. Though they've operated with an unusual level of fiscal restraint in recent years, their addition of Gerrit Cole late Tuesday night was a reminder that when they want a free agent, nobody else really stands a chance.

The Angels and Dodgers both wanted Cole badly as well, yet the Yankees blew them away with their financial might, locking up the superstar pitcher to a nine-year, $324 million contract, which was miles ahead of the other offers. 

The biggest domino has fallen, and it's landed in the Bronx.

The Yankees and right-hander Gerrit Cole agreed to a record-setting nine-year, $324 million deal late Tuesday night, landing what could be the final piece of their championship pursuit.

So while all eyes will now be on the Bronx come the start of the regular season, what will come next at baseball's Winter Meetings in San Diego?

Unlike last year, when Manny Machado and Bryce Harper waited until well into the new year to find their new teams, this year's Winter Meetings have been much more active, with Cole obviously being the biggest splash.

In the final minutes of Tuesday night, the Yankees broke the bank and landed Gerrit Cole, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, on a massive nine-year deal worth $324 million.

Cole joins a Yankees team that won 103 games in 2019 and 100 games the season before, and now could be the final piece to push the Yankees back to their first World Series title since 2009.

"It's been a long time since they made a move like this, and I really didn't think they'd go to nine years but obviously they wanted this guy badly," said SNY's John Harper. "If you're going to go after anybody, this is the guy. He seems to be still ascending. He's getting better and better. He went to the Astros and changed some things and now he's basically the best pitcher in the game, most strikeouts and all that.

"That and the fact the Yankees haven't won in 10 years, I think that combination put pressure on Hal Steinbrenner to say enough is enough with the budget and all that. … The bottom line is they got their guy. This is what they've been missing, the big piece they've been missing. You would think they're set up now more than ever to win a championship."

The Yankees have landed the biggest name on this year's free agency market, and added a proven ace to their pitching staff.

SNY's Andy Martino has confirmed the Yankees have agreed to a nine-year, $324 million deal with right-hander Gerrit Cole, which immediately increases their odds to win their first World Series since 2009. The deal was first reported by MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported that Cole has an opt-out after the fifth year of his deal, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post has reported that Cole received a no-trade clause.

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.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

SAN DIEGO -- Soon -- perhaps very soon, according to people in the know -- the Yankees will know if Gerrit Cole wants to play for them. Until then, the team's strong focus is on the free agent pitcher, and they'll deal with other concerns later.

For example, the Yankees seemed unfazed by the news that Didi Gregorius signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Phillies. People familiar with the team's thinking believe that the front office decided as far back as September to part with Gregorius. 

Though the team loved Gregorius' production, clubhouse presence, and ability to replace an icon in Derek Jeter, they appeared to believe that they simply had enough in-house coverage at shortstop to let Gregorius walk. 

The MLB announced the list of players who made the inaugural All-MLB first and second teams on Tuesday and two Yankees made the cut.

DJ LeMahieu was named to the All-MLB first team at second base, while Aroldis Chapman was named to the second team as one of two relievers.

This past season was LeMahieu's first in New York and first in the American League, but the 31-year-old shined for the Yankees. 

Aaron Boone spoke with the media at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after Didi Gregorius reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Boone, who managed Gregorius with the Yankees over the last two seasons, reacted to the news of the signing, playfully being skeptical of the reporting before talking about his former shortstop.

"I'll wait until the Phillies announce it and really know it's official," Boone said while cracking a smile. "Didi has been a great player for us and is a great person and is somebody that's obviously been there before I got there...I followed his career just because he came up with Cincinnati and then was out in Arizona, so I was very familiar with him." 

The Yankees' shortstop situation just became very clear, as Didi Gregorius has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phillies, according to multiple reports. NBC Sports' Jim Salisbury has the deal set at $14 million for the year. 

Brian Cashman said he was talking to all the Yankees on the free agent market, and Gregorius was among them. But with Gleyber Torres under team control and his natural position being shortstop, SNY's Andy Martino reported earlier this offseason that a Gregorius reunion was unlikely.

It was suggested on Monday by MLB Network's Jon Heyman that Gregorius was going to see a multi-year deal worth $14-15 million per season. But while the price range was correct, Gregorius didn't get that long-term deal, which is likely caused by a mediocre season following a return from Tommy John surgery. 

The Yankees have made J.A. Happ available via trade, partly in an effort to clear payroll with the potential that a massive deal for free agent Gerrit Cole will soon be added to the books, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

With Happ available, Martino notes that "plenty of National League teams," including the Brewers, would have interest in trading for him. Martino also lists the Blue Jays as a potential suitor. 

Happ is owed $17 million for the 2020 season, and his $17 million option for the 2021 season will vest if he throws 165 innings and/or starts 27 games this coming season.

On Monday, Stephen Strasburg inked the most lucrative contract ever for a pitcher, returning to the Nationals for $245 million over seven years. That deal could vault Cole above $300 million and could mean he gets eight or even nine years.

The Yankees had reported interest in Royals LHP Tim Hill late last month, and that seems to still be the case, according to The Post's George A. King III. 

GM Brian Cashman is still inquiring about his availability via trade, as the Yankees could use another lefty reliever in their bullpen. Hill, a submarine pitcher, pitched to a 3.63 ERA over 39.2 innings last season. He is very productive against lefties, and he has allowed 0.8 and 0.9 homers per nine innings in the last two seasons respectively -- always a good number for a small Yankee Stadium. 

One of the Royals' needs is a third baseman, and King has them being interested in Miguel Andujar and Gio Urshela, depending on what the Yankees decide to do with that situation. Urshela has the upper hand after a breakout season, while Andujar is coming back from a torn labrum. 

The MLB Winter Meetings are in full swing in San Diego, and the Yankees are expected to be active. Here's the latest...

Dec. 10, 12:30 PM:

The Yankees have made J.A. Happ available via trade, partly in an effort to clear payroll with the potential that a massive deal for free agent Gerrit Cole will soon be added to the books, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

The Yankees have a well-known, ongoning pursuit of starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. That's kicking into another gear this week as the MLB Winter Meetings are underway in San Diego. 

Stephen Strasburg already returned to the Nationals on Monday. Soon after, the Yankees reportedly submitted an offer for Cole's services.

Yankees skipper Aaron Boone couldn't provide much insight into the discussion there, but he did admit one thing, while also perhaps selling things to Cole. 

MLB's Winter Meetings have officially begun in San Diego, and the Yankees are expected to be among those extremely active in upgrading their 2020 roster. Here are the latest rumors for today...

Dec. 9, 10:17 PM:

As the Yankees continue to pursue Gerrit Cole, who will land the richest contract in baseball history whenever he signs, it now seems like the team is looking to alleviate some of that financial burden.

Free agent target Dellin Betances is "likely" to sign a one-year deal in an effort to increase his value and hit the market again in 2020, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network.

Curry added that the Yankees have engaged with Betances, who he says attended a congratulatory dinner for Carlos Beltran after Beltran was named manager of the Mets.

Betances, who will turn 32 before Opening Day, pitched just 2/3 of an inning in 2019 after dealing with a lat injury. He returned toward the end of the season, but suffered an Achilles injury in his only appearance that ended his year. 

Stephen Strasburg has agreed to a seven-year deal with the Nationals worth $245 million, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. It is a record deal for a pitcher that will also have ramifications when it comes to Gerrit Cole's market. 

The deal includes a full no-trade clause and does not have any opt-outs, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo.

The Yankees met with Strasburg and Cole last week, though they have been focused on Cole. According to SNY's Andy Martino, the Yanks have back-burnered other business in an effort to complete the Cole negotiations.

The Yankees are open to bringing free agent Didi Gregorius back, but his market could be approaching a level the Bombers don't want to go to.

Gregorius "seems likely" to get a multiyear deal worth roughly $14 million or $15 million, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported on Monday, adding that the Reds could potentially be priced out at that number.

As far as the Yankees, SNY's Andy Martino noted that he can't see them bringing Gregorius back at the number Heyman reported.

On Monday, ESPN released a large chunk of its Sunday Night Baseball games for the 2020 MLB season, and the Yankees are featured in a bunch. 

These primetime matchups feature some stiff competition that should make out for some great Sunday night games. Here's where the Yankees are slated thus far:

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE GAMES

Yankees GM Brian Cashman will be on a flight to San Diego Sunday night, as the MLB Winter Meetings will be conducted for the next few days. But first, he made a pit stop at the "Heights & Lights" program in Stamford, CT where he propelled from The Landmark Building wearing an elf costume.

Once his duties were done and he safely made his way to the ground, Cashman took the time to discuss the Yankees and what he believes will go down at the Winter Meetings. 

Here's a few key topics Cashman touched on:

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Winter Meetings have been a snooze-fest in recent years, as teams have become more cautious about long-term free-agent signings and less inclined to give up prospects in trades, producing offseason stalemates that last into February.

But there's hope it might be different this time, as a combination of factors offers the possibility for significant action in San Diego the next few days. 

Most notably, large-market teams such as the Yankees, Dodgers, and Angels are big-game hunters this offseason, which hasn't been the case in recent years. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Here's the ideal Winter Meetings headline for Yankees fans:

"Happy Holidays! Yanks Get Cole in their Stocking." 

The Yankees reportedly enjoyed their meeting with free agent pitcher Stephen Strasburg, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

However, according to Heyman, the team would be surprised if Strasburg decided to leave the Washington Nationals, where he's been since the Nats drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft.

The report also mentioned the Nationals are more confident in Strasburg re-signing than their other big free agent, 3B Anthony Rendon. Nats owner Mark Lerner said on Thursday that the team can't afford to retain both Strasburg and Rendon.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

On Sunday, Brian Cashman and the rest of MLB's general managers will travel to San Diego for the annual Winter Meetings, where deals with free agents and potential trades will create a rumor mill that baseball fans can't wait to see.

And as always, the Yankees should be a team mentioned in many of those rumors. 

While Cashman will be looking to make some serious headway in his offseason plans, he'll also make sure to update the media after each day to see how things are going. 

With all eyes on the Yankees' pursuit of Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, the team still has multiple free agents of their own that they are considering bringing back, including Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius.

As SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday, the Yankees remain optimistic about a reunion with Gardner even as their main offseason focus remains on pitching.

On Friday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the continued dialogue with the Gardner and Gregorius camps.

A Yankees contingent featuring Brian Cashman, Andy Pettitte, and others sat down earlier this week with free agents Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg. 

Unlike the Yankees' recent free agency gameplans, they are full steam ahead for Cole and have made it clear that they'll spend whatever it takes to land him, SNY's Andy Martino has reported. If they don't land Cole, they could turn to Strasburg, who they view as similarly elite.

On Friday morning, Cashman spoke about the dual pursuits.

On Thursday during his R2C2 podcast, former Yankee CC Sabathia got very heated when talking about the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

"It just sucks that it happened," Sabathia said. "I knew those m-----f------ didn't beat us fair and square. I knew were better than them, man! F---!"

Sabathia would go on to say, "That organization, man, they need to fire everybody. Jeez!"

Former Yankees All-Star pitcher Andy Pettitte was part of the team's contigent that sat down to meet with free agent pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, according to ESPN's Buster Olney and the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

Using Pettitte to help recruit Cole to the Yankees makes plenty of sense, as Pettitte played three seasons for the Astros, where Cole pitched the last two years.

Pettitte and the Yankees met with Strasburg in a hotel near agent Scott Boras' office in Newport Beach, CA. Yankees GM Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, and new pitching coach Matt Blake were also in attendance for the meeting.

As the Yankees focus their efforts on landing free agents Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg, they remain optimistic about a reunion with outfielder Brett Gardner, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

Martino notes that the Gardner situation could potentially resolve when the Yankees' payroll situation is clearer.

In November, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was open about the team's desire to have Gardner back, and wouldn't say whether he felt it would take more than a one-year deal to get it done.

According to a report, the Yankees met with free agent right-hander Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has reported that the meeting between the two sides went well, and that while the Yankees tried to sell the righty on their organization and the New York market, exact dollars were not discussed.

The Bombers have also met with Gerrit Cole, with Jon Heyman reporting that the two sides had a "very nice" first meeting. 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Yankees liked Zack Wheeler, and they like Madison Bumgarner well enough.

But in the wake of Wheeler's five year, $118 million agreement with the Phillies -- and in the face of an intensifying market for Bumgarner -- it is clearer than ever that the team's square focus is on the two big fish, Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

Of the two, Cole is the primary target, but the Yanks consider Strasburg elite, too. And that's the entire list of elite starters available via free agency. Bumgarner is no longer in that top tier.

The Astros' sign-stealing scandal has been one of MLB's top stories this offseason, and it doesn't help that most of the case studies have been seen during Yankees games. 

Well, a current Yankee decided to troll the Astros during his Call of Duty live stream on Tuesday night. 

Clint Frazier, who was playing the video game with Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones, was having his player make a gesture towards trash cans in the game to mock the Astros' system of hitting a trash can in the clubhouse to let hitters know what pitch was coming. Check it out: