And, as he did on Friday during his bullpen session, Cole had one of his childhood heroes watching from behind the mound, Roger Clemens, who is in camp as a guest instructor. “It was awesome,” Cole said Sunday. “It’s really great. Álex [Rodríguez] was in the house the other day, too. It’s good vibes.

While the New York Yankees softened their longstanding facial hair policy on Friday, ace Gerrit Cole said general manager Brian Cashman told players not to go overboard with their beards.

TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole says he always intended to remain with the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old right-hander exercised his right to opt out of his contract on the third day after the World Series, giving up $144 million over four years and starting a two-day window for the team to void the opt by adding a $36 million salary for 2029.

Former Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly's latest shot was directly at Gerrit Cole, claiming his 9-year-old son's travel baseball team had better fundamentals than the Yankees ace. But Cole responded like a professional. Speaking exclusively to NJ.com's Bob Klapisch, Cole answered Kelly's comments like a grownup.

After his right elbow injury last year, it seemed that Gerrit Cole's days as a MLB pitcher were uncertain. However, a quick recovery has put him in a favorable position to negotiat