"Hard to accept that a year of performance success does not warrant an increase in pay": When Gerrit Cole was heartbroken over Pirates' $538,000 offer

During the 2011 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole with the first overall pick. After dominating the minor leagues, the hard-throwing righty made his debut in 2013 and never looked back.

During the 2015 season, Cole was a household name. He had made his first MLB All-Star Game appearance after really dialing it together on the mound.

Cole was working on a flurry of one-year deals and was hopeful he would get a big pay increase after a fantastic season. However, he was left frustrated with the club's offer, via USA Today.

"I understand the business of the game, but it is hard to accept that a year of performance success does not warrnat an increase in pay," said Cole.

Cole was only offered a $7,000 increase from his base 2015 salary. While he understands the game is a business, he could not help but feel flustered.

"They even threatened a salary reduction if I did not agree" said Cole.

Cole then went on to explain that the club was threatening to reduce his salary if he did not take the deal. All in all, it came to be a public spat that could have stayed behind closed doors if both parties acted in good faith.

Gerrit Cole is not too worried about money now

New York Yankees - Gerrit Cole (Photo via IMAGN)

Gerrit Cole was not happy with how the Pittsburgh Pirates were lowballing him. He wanted to be paid for the success he brought to the team, and would eventually get a pay raise.

During the 2017 season, he agreed to a one-year, $3,750,000 deal. The following season, he would see another increase to $6,750,000.

During the 2018 season, Cole's tenure with the Pirates was up and he signed a contract for the 2019 season with the Houston Astros. He would sign a deal for $13.5M, but his biggest payday was yet to come.

During the 2019 offseason, Cole signed a nine-year, $324M contract with the New York Yankees. At the time, it made him the highest-paid pitcher in the entire league.

He teased free agency this winter after opting out of his remaining contract but decided to stay in the Bronx. He has four years left and $144M remaining on his current contract.

Talks of a contract extension will continue to be had, however serious talks on this matter are expected to be had at a later date.