New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole won the first Cy Young of his career on Wednesday night, and it was unanimous. Cole had 15 wins on the season, as well as a 2.63 ERA and .98 WHIP. He was the obvious and most deserving choice, despite the Yankees failure to make the postseason.

Cole has won a World Series in a previous stint with the Houston Astros, but New York's inability to do so since he was signed prior to 2020 is a sticking point on an otherwise impeccable career in pinstripes. This offseason is as important as any to Cole and the Yankees, and not just because Brian Cashman is trying to build a winner.

The 33-year-old Cole will have the chance to opt out after next season. If he continues to pitch like this, he could reset the market for starters and perhaps be the class of free agency. If Cole opts in to the rest of his deal, he'll be paid $36 million AAV through the 2028 campaign. If he opts out, the options are endless, including a potential return to New York for even more money.

The better Gerrit Cole pitches, the more likely he is to opt out of Yankees deal

This isn't to say Yankees fans should be rooting against Cole's Cy Young-caliber success -- that would be lunacy. However, if Cole is able to put up back-to-back years like this, it's almost a certainty that he'll try to test the market.

Cole will be 34 years old next winter, and thus with the opportunity to land one more enormous payday on a shorter AAV. That contract of shorter length could earn Cole more money in the long run, especially if he's willing to discuss deals of a three-to-four year variety.

The Yankees were able to keep Aaron Judge in Pinstripes last offseason. Come 2024, they could be facing a similar challenge with Cole.