That doesn’t mean that one of the former stalwarts of the Houston Astros pitching staff is hitting the open market just yet.

Just a couple of days after a bitter disappointment on baseball’s biggest stage, a former Houston Astros ace is laying the groundwork to hit free agency again.

Gerrit Cole, who pitched for the Astros for two seasons, opted out of his deal with the American League champion New York Yankees on Saturday.

ESPN reported that the Yankees still have a chance to keep him. New York can void the opt-out by adding one year and $36 million to the four years and $144 million that Cole had remaining on his deal.

New York might well exercise its right to keep the 34-year-old.

He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 2024 as he missed basically the first half of the season with an elbow issue. Even with that, he helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009, but they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.