Gerrit Cole out, could the Padres compete at star pitcher?

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has opted out of his contract with the historic franchise, meaning the star is looking for a new team. The San Diego Padres have never been shy when it comes to signing star talent, and it's possible the organization has Cole in its sights.

With Joe Musgrove missing the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery, there is a hole to fill in the starting lineup.

It's important to note that the Yankees can revoke the opt-out if the team extends Cole's contract for one year and $36 million.

However, Cole and the New York franchise did not achieve the fairytale ending they had hoped for in October.

Cole started in Games 1 and 5 of the World Series, both won by the Los Angeles Dodgers. As the offseason begins, the Dodgers have become a familiar foe for the Padres and now Cole.

Could the Padres snag Cole on the free agency market? It wouldn't be the first time the Padres and Yankees swap players, even if it wasn't a direct trade.

But everyone remembers the trade that took place on December 6, 2023, when the Padres sent Juan Soto and center fielder Trent Grisham to New York. Although fans were saddened by Soto's departure, the star's departure added more than $36 million to San Diego's payroll.

The Soto trade helped the Padres add key players like Michael King, Dylan Cease, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito and Kyle Higashioka.

“We have the foundation of a good team coming back, so that’s positive,” Padres general manager AJ Preller told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “But of course some of the free agent players…those are all things we'll weigh. And if these guys don't come back, there are opportunities and places that we have to evaluate. … It's a good start and then, similar to last year, we had to evaluate the situation with Juan Soto instead of potentially moving him. We’ll do that on a lot of different individual fronts over the next few weeks and hopefully have something that makes sense when we get to spring training.”

The Yankees have until Monday at 5 p.m. ET to lift the opt-out, meaning Padres fans will only have to wait until then to see if Cole either stays on the trade block or returns to New York.

If the ace remains a free agent, the Padres should definitely consider acquiring Cole for two reasons. San Diego needs a pitcher who can fill Musgrove's void, and Cole can certainly fill that role as an ace familiar with the challenges of October. The second reason is much more emotional. Both the Padres and Cole need revenge on the Dodgers.