Gerrit Cole isn't too pleased with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and money is the culprit.
The 25-year-old ace, who was a candidate for the National League Cy Young Award last season, feels like the club isn't paying him what he deserves.
"When you perform at a level that draws the praise of management, teammates, coaches and fans, you expect appropriate compensation," Cole told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I understand the business of this game, but it is hard to accept that a year of performance success does not warrant an increase in pay."
Cole unhappily signed a deal for $541,000 in base salary for the 2016 campaign, Biertempfel notes.
The club's initial offer, according to Cole, was $538,000, lower than the $541,000 he made in 2015 ($531,000 in base salary plus a $10,000 bonus for making the All-Star Game).
"They even threatened a salary reduction to the league minimum if I did not agree," Cole said.
Because Cole falls into the category of a player who has less than three years of service time in the majors, he's not eligible for salary arbitration and must accept whatever contract his team extends to him. If he was to refuse to sign, the contract could then be offered back to him at an even lower rate.
And while the first overall pick of the 2011 draft isn't happy with his salary, he doesn't want his displeasure to affect the team during spring camp.
"I don't want anyone in this locker room to question the virtue of our organization," Cole said.
Cole made 32 starts across 208 innings for the Pirates last season, finishing 19-8 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He is eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2017.
