Matt Blake

Yankees believe Gerrit Cole might prefer LA after “very nice” meeting

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New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole

It has become increasingly more evident that the Yankees‘ top desire is to lure Gerrit Cole to the Bronx, once again, after losing him to UCLA years ago after the MLB Draft. Ever since, general manager Brian Cashman has been chasing his services, but this time around presents the best opportunity for that reality to come to fruition.

Cole has a few demands of his own, and they’re beginning to worry some that he might prefer a different destination that the fridged east coast.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network:

Yanks had “very nice” introductory meeting with Gerrit Cole yesterday. No $ specifically discussed. They are selling him on being a Yankee and winning. Also key: “the dollars will be there.” The Yankees believe he’d thrive in NY but also believe he may prefer LA.

The expectation is that Cashman will leave a blank check on Scott Boras’ desk, expecting the star pitcher to earn upwards of $250 million on a multi-year deal. The Yankees are preparing to smash the record for the highest-paid pitcher, and they have held back for quite some time from allocating additional resources towards the starting pitching rotation. While they did sign James Paxton and traded for J.A. Happ in recent seasons, neither of those moves come close to the enormous deal Cole is prepared to consume.

Who went out to meet Gerrit Cole from the Yankees?

Money aside, Cole has to feel like the Yankees are the right fit for him, as the media pressure and intense weather can be intimidating. Cole doesn’t strike me as the player to care much about either, but those two factors may play a part in his decision.

Cashman, Aaron Boone, and new pitching coach Matt Blake all went to Southern California to entice Cole, and the fact money wasn’t discussed, means other factors are playing a significant part in this deal. The most impactful card the Bombers have to use is their success and ability to make the playoffs year-in and year-out. If winning doesn’t convince Cole to come to the Bronx when money isn’t playing a part, his upbringing on the West Coast is the culprit.

Why the Yankees hit a home run with new pitching coach Matt Blake

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New York Yankees, Larry Rothschild

The Yankees made it a priority to bring in a forward-thinking pitching coach after the forced departure of Larry Rothschild. They elected to hire Matt Blake of the Cleveland Indians, known for his progressive mentality and ability to dissect pitchers beyond the analytical node.

What are the Yankees getting with Matt Blake?

Four years ago, Blake was the pitching coach at Lincoln, Sudbury Regional High School, where he also founded “Elite Pitching Developmental,” a program that allowed him to analyze and work with arms like Curt Schilling, Max Scherzer, and Noah Syndergaard.

Blake’s experience with top-level pitchers and his ability to refine their existing skills, allowed him to progress through the coaching system and find his way to the majors, where he helped the Indians develop plenty of quality arms. Bringing his approach to the Yankees organization will not only serve youngsters like Michael King and Deivi Garcia well, but the veterans on the team will also benefit from his incredible talents.

As per the NY Post:

“He’s ahead of his time,’’ said Kirk Fredericks, who brought Blake on as his pitching coach at Lincoln-Sudbury about a decade ago.

“Matt was very progressive with video analysis,’’ Cressey said. “He was ahead of the curve. He picked it all up from scratch.’’

“You can have all the analytics you want, if you can’t disseminate it to people, it doesn’t matter,’’ Cressey said. “And that’s what separates Matt.’’

Blake seems to be ahead of the curve, speaking about launch angle and spin rate before almost anyone else. His ability to see the next trend is what ultimately earned him the job as the top pitching coach for the New York Yankees. It was likely an easy job to take once it was offered, considering he worked with the Bombers as an area scout earlier on in his career.

It will be interesting to see his approach towards the game and how he will help the existing pitchers on the roster increase their efficiency on the mound.

BREAKING: New York Yankees Hire Matt Blake As Pitching Coach

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have hired Matt Blake as their new pitching coach.

Blake was previously an area scout for the Yankees and a pitching coordinator for the Cleveland Indians. He will be taking the job of Larry Rothschild, who was fired about two weeks ago.

He will look to develop the starting pitching as well as strengthen middle relievers.

This is a developing story and we will know more soon.