At First Yankees Workout, Gerrit Cole Defends His Past With the Astros

The Yankees, however, haven’t expressed any doubts about Cole. Two days into his first Yankees spring training, Cole said he had not gotten any “vibes” from his new teammates that he needed to clear the air with them about his time with the Astros.

But if they ask, Cole said, “I’ll just give them an honest answer, which was that I had no idea of any of it going on and I didn’t see any of it. I certainly don’t think I have much to apologize for.”

Cole said he believed his former teammates’ denials that they had used hidden wearable devices to signal upcoming pitches, as some have speculated. (Nor did he see any, he said.)

He lamented the entire scandal.

“Nobody is getting a win out of this,” Cole said. “And it doesn’t look very good. I guess I’m fortunate to be able to be here, move past it and get to experience all the great things about coming to a new team.”

Cole said he was excited to get to know his new teammates and coaches; learn from his fellow pitchers, particularly Masahiro Tanaka (“the quintessential professional in New York”); and be reunited with those he already knew, such as J.A. Happ and James Paxton. He said he felt particularly driven to win a World Series after falling one victory short of a title last season.

“There’s this buzz permeating through my life, whether I’m looking for it or not,” he said, “and it feels really good.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/sports/baseball/gerrit-cole-yankees.html?emc=rss&partner=rss