7 years agoPittsburgh Pirates starter Gerrit Cole has been traded to the Houston Astros, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Several teams had been interested in acquiring the 27-year-old, but it was the defending World Champions who made it happen. Cole started a National League-best 33 games last season but struggled at times to finish with a 12-12 record, 4.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Cole is still due for arbitration in 2018, so it's unclear how much he'll earn this season. Meanwhile, the rich get richer in Houston, as Cole will go from an Opening Day starter to the third or fourth option in the rotation, while the Pirates may go into full rebuild mode if star outfielder Andrew McCutchen is dealt, as rumored.--Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Source: Jon Morosi