NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole exercised his opt out from his New York Yankees contract, giving the team two days to void the opt out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Three days after the Yankees lost the World Series, New York said Saturday it declined first baseman Anthony Rizzo's $17 million option in favor of a $6 million buyout, making the first baseman a free agent.
Cole's decision, which was expected, was conveyed by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not publicly announced. Cole would give up $144 million in the four remaining seasons of his $324 million, nine-year contract. The Yankees have until midnight EST Sunday to make their decision.
A 34-year-old right-hander, Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. His 2024 season didn't start until June 19 because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.
A three-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Rizzo hit .228 with eight homers and 35 RBIs over 92 games in an injury-interrupted season.
Rizzo missed 62 games with a fractured right forearm after colliding with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino on June 16. He batted .380 (8 for 21) after returning from the injured list on Sept. 1, then fractured the fourth and fifth fingers when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki on Sept. 28.
He returned for the AL Championship Series and World Series and batted .267 with no RBIs.
A 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, Rizzo has a .261 career average with 303 homers and 965 RBIs in 14 major league seasons. He was traded from Chicago to the Yankees in July 2021.
He stayed with the Yankees for a $32 million, two-year deal, then agreed in November 2022 to a $40 million, two-year contract.
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New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A new tropical storm was expected to form Monday in the Caribbean and bring heavy rain to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before strengthening to a hurricane and likely hitting Cuba, forecasters said.
The storm would be named Rafael. Later in the week it also is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Florida and portions of the U.S. Southeast, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands and for parts of Cuba including the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm watch was issued for Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, and Las Tunas in Cuba.
“There is increasing confidence of steady strengthening until the system reaches Cuba or the southeastern Gulf of Mexico,” the center said.
The tropical depression on Monday afternoon was located about 200 miles (325 kilometers) south of Kingston, Jamaica. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) while moving north at 9 mph (15 kph), the center said.
The forecasted storm was expected to move near Jamaica late Monday, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and approach Cuba on Wednesday. It could be near hurricane strength when it passes near the Cayman Islands.
The most recent forecast shows the disturbance could pass over western Cuba on Wednesday as a hurricane. People in Cuba and the Florida Keys were among those urged to monitor the disturbance as it develops.
Most forecasts show the potential storm peaking as a Category 1 hurricane, “but conditions over the next few days will favor strengthening so we’ll need to monitor how quickly it organizes, and a stronger hurricane can’t be ruled out,” wrote Michael Lowry, hurricane specialist and storm surge expert, in an analysis Monday.
On Monday morning, the government of the Cayman Islands offered people sandbags and announced schools would close on Tuesday.
“Residents are urged to take immediate precautions to protect themselves and their properties,” the government said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Observer newspaper reported a large landslide in a rural area north of the Kingston capital on Sunday that officials blamed on persistent rains ahead of the potential storm. No injuries were reported, but a couple of communities were left isolated.
Heavy rainfall will affect the western Caribbean with totals of 3 to 6 inches (7 to 15 centimeters) and up to 9 inches (23 cm) expected locally in Jamaica and parts of Cuba. Flooding and mudslides are possible.
On the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Patty dissipated.
Storm in the Caribbean is on a track to likely hit Cuba as a hurricane
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows weather systems Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
Storm in the Caribbean is on a track to likely hit Cuba as a hurricane
