New York Yankees trade rumors 2018

Oct 17, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks (right) and right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrate after defeating the Houston Astros in game four of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium.REUTERS/Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Baseball pitcher Gerrit Cole is currently surrounded by rumors as to which team he could possibly be traded to. Although the Houston Astros have expressed a desire to acquire Cole, nothing has been set in stone as of now. As it turns out, the New York Yankees have been looking to upgrade their already formidable roster, and are rumored to be interested in Cole.

Previous rumors of Cole making a done deal with the Astros were proven to be completely false, which now gives credence to the high probability of him ending up as a starter in the Yankees. It is important to note that giving up Cole would put his current team, the Pittsburg Pirates, in a situation wherein they would have to make a crucial decision to either rebuild their team or to try to upgrade their own roster themselves. 

As of now, the Yankees have a formidable team, and adding Cole would solidify their starting lineup along with the recently acquired outfielder, Giancarlo Stanton -- who was previously from the Miami Marlins. However, it stands that the Yankees have five capable pitchers in their roster, which means they might have to give some up in order to gain Cole.

The management of the Yankees have yet to come up with an official statement regarding the acquisition of cole. 

The offseason could be all about the race between the Astros and the Yankees in acquiring new talent. As of now, both teams are interested in two key pitchers -- Cole and Yu Darvish, the latter from the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, some analysts suspect that if the negotiations between the Astros and Cole went smoothly, then the Astros would have themselves a new starting pitcher in Cole. If this is true, they may actually have Darvish on their sights.