Report: Trade talks for Cole have cooled between Pirates, Yankees

Gerrit Cole should probably put off his apartment hunt for the time being.

Trade talks regarding the ace right-hander have "cooled" between the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The Yankees expressed interest in Cole at the annual winter meetings, and talks progressed to the point that the teams were reportedly discussing deals. Since the meetings concluded, nothing further has materialized and a trade is no longer as likely as it once appeared.

Cole is sure to garner interest if he remains available. At 27, he's entering his second year of arbitration, and is under team control until 2020.

The Pirates selected the pitcher first overall in the 2011 draft, and he's since become a fixture in the rotation. In five seasons, he's gone 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 734 strikeouts over 782 1/3 innings. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2015.

The Yankees recently re-signed left-hander CC Sabathia to a one-year deal to help round out the rotation, though the team could still add another arm through free agency or trade. The teams could also revisit a deal down the road.