While the two bottles of wine the New York Yankees brought to their free agency meeting with Gerrit Cole this offseason played a significant part in luring him to the Bronx, the secret ingredient to pushing the deal over the hump was none other than former pitcher, Andy Pettitte.
The New York Yankees played the talks perfectly:
Pettitte was/is one of Cole’s favorite players from the last generation, and he continues to be an inspiration in his life, which is exactly why the Yankees brought him in to chat with the league’s best pitcher.
The impression Pettitte left on Cole had his head swirling and nearly convinced that the Yankees were the right choice.