 Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Jason Zillow, the vice president of communications for the New York Yankees. I'd like to welcome all of you to Yankee Stadium, including a group of our most loyal and longest-tenured season ticket holders. Our fans are the lifeblood of this organization, and we are so pleased that you can be here today and enjoy this experience. Those of you who have covered this team and who have followed this team for the last couple of decades now, I'm sure are familiar with Brian Cashman's consistent refrain that we are big-game hunters when it comes to the acquisition of top-tier talent. And way back in 2008, we underwent an expedition and thankfully we brought lots of food and water with us, but we're here today with the conclusion of that expedition. And that that comes with the announcement that we have signed Garrett Cole to a nine-year contract. It's an exciting day, and with that I'd like to introduce the members of Ardeas, beginning to my very far right, Mr. Matt Blake, new Yankees pitching coach, Michael Fishman, vice president and assistant GM. Fish, good to see you up here. Yankees chief operating officer, Lawn Troste, Garrett Cole's representative, Scott Borus, who I might add is almost seems like by himself is heeding the hot stove league the last week or two. Scott, always good to see you. Of course, Hal Steinbrenner managing general partner and co-chairperson of the Yankees. To my immediate left, Randy Levine, Yankees team president. The general manager here for the last 22 seasons and proud owner of five-world series rings, Brian Cashman. Mr. Aaron Boone, Yankees team manager, also owner of two straight 100-win seasons, nothing to be sneezed at. Our guest of honor, of course, Garrett Cole and his wonderful wife, Amy. Again, I thank all of you for being here and with that, I'd like to turn the mic over to Brian Cashman. Brian? Thank you, Jason. You know, it's an exciting time for us. We try to, with every transaction, whether it's big or small, we we always have high hopes and expectations and excitement surrounding the decisions behind them and and looking forward to them leading to real positive things on the field and in days and years to come. So, so this is another chapter of that, obviously a much bigger chapter. But let me speak about this particular chapter. I we're gonna be introducing someone today that from afar I've had a lot of admiration for and why is that? You know, although I don't have a chance to until recently to get to know, you know, Garrett Cole or his wife, Amy at all until recently, but from afar you follow the storyline and everybody here should or should already know the storyline. You know, obviously someone we drafted with our number one pick and he was a Yankee fan growing up and just to pause and think about the the decision that he had to make and he was forced to make, you know, does he go sign pro? First round pick, a lot of money, signing bonus, you know, right there in play or go door number two and continue on with a college education at a great university UCLA in Pittsburgh, John Savage and reflecting on the the discipline and the poise and the patience that he had to, you know, work through with the process that him and his family utilized to come to a decision to, you know, decide that in that time and place it wasn't the right time and place and he chose to go on to create continuous amateur career at UCLA and we obviously sat from afar and watched him continue to grow and then obviously he gets a chance to another bite at the apple, not with us, but being the first overall pick three years later by the Pittsburgh Pirates. So we're sitting there watch that play out and watch again in that time and place why we sit on the sidelines and see someone continue to hone his craft, develop, grow, improve upon obviously his abilities, whatever the development side of his to finish off his championship efforts, you know, it was going to take place first in Pittsburgh. Then we have a chance at that apple again his decision wasn't a part of this, but we tried to trade for him two years ago. Unfortunately, he wound up with Houston as he continues to grow and change and compete, you know, so he's had playoff experiences now both in the National League and in the American League with the Houston Astros and prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the discipline and the poise and the patience to forego any opportunities of the signing extensions to say no in the right time and place. I'm going to put myself in a position to have a full conversation with all people involved including the New York Yankees and now we're here in the right time, the right place. We were very transparent about our interest in this particular player, Garrett Cole, a youthful Yankee fan that grew up and finished off to put himself, I think, in the best position possible that when he wanted to, if he ever chose to, enter this time in place, that he would be the best prepared he possibly could be, both mentally, both physically and looking at where our operation happens to be. Is this the right time, the right place for him and his family and would he have the best opportunity to succeed? And I don't want to speak for Garrett Cole on this, but I think that all of those experiences along the way have put him in a better position to join these teammates that he has here today and our manager and our coaching staff and this franchise and our fan base to be in a position to contribute in a significant way with everybody else around him. And despite, obviously, this is a very, you know, historic signing. We also know that with that journey of poise and patience and discipline it's going to have to pay off moving forward because there's no, you know, guarantees of success. There's going to be ups and downs, trials and tribulations. This game of baseball is very humbling, it's very exciting. So that's why we try to create as much talent around every individual we possibly bring in here. So as a group we can succeed or fail together. And that's what we're looking forward to as he takes the next journey here. And we'd love to welcome, obviously, Garrett Cole and his wife, Amy, to the New York Yankees. And with that, I'd like to welcome Amy with I've got something to present to her up here and welcome the Yankee family. So to continue that conversation, I think it's apt for me to turn it over to Aaron Boone, our manager, so he can discuss, you know, Garrett from his perspective. And Aaron, can you come on up? Thank you, Brian. Welcome. Amy, Garrett, congratulations. This is a big day for our franchise. And, you know, as I've been thinking about it here the last couple of days and kind of thinking how these last several weeks have unfolded. I recall getting the word probably three, four weeks ago that, you know, we were going to be players for Garrett Cole, which and then following that started scheduling a trip out west to meet with Garrett and Amy and Scott and their representatives. And and the excitement that goes with that, you know, obviously, as the manager, when I hear we're going to be in play for, arguably, the game's best pitcher. That's exciting, right? I mean, let's be real about it. That that gets your juices flowing. But as we are traveling out west, then then it switches to this this this privilege that we have that I've been fortunate to have to get to meet with a player like Garrett Cole. You know, we've had the opportunity since I've been here to meet with a handful of amazing players. And that's a privilege to go get to spend time with an experience you know, people that are great at what they do and kind of, you know, get to know them get to get to hear what makes them tick gets get to hear a little bit what makes them special. That's a privilege. And, you know, you go there, obviously, with the hope and the aspiration that, you know, he will be a Yankee and that this is going to be a fit. And I got to tell you when we got there and got to experience a day with them. I think I think the meeting ended up being about four and a half hours and gotten to sit down and really experience the person. That has me equally as excited today. We understand what a great talent that Garrett Cole is. We understand what a great picture he is and clearly in the prime of his career. But I was blown away by the person. And I talk to you guys all the time. I feel like throughout the season about how important culture is to me, how important our room is to me, how important our clubhouse is to me. And I feel like it's something that is an overwhelming strength for us. And I can tell you, we added a great piece to that. He is going to fit in and add to that room. I have no doubts. His passion for what he does, his ability to articulate that passion, his understanding of who he is as a pitcher and what makes him a great pitcher is something that I was blown away by, frankly. To meet somebody that truly has a grasp on what they're doing and why they're successful, the way Garrett does and the ability to articulate it was something that was so impressive. So as excited as I am to be able to hand him the ball every fifth day, and I know a lot of people in this room, I'm sure, are looking forward to seeing that. I'm equally as excited to see what he brings behind the scenes and adding to what I feel like is a room full of guys that have a lot of championship qualities. I feel like we're a team with championship and tangibles. We haven't pushed through yet, but we've clearly been knocking on the door for now a few years. And I just feel like Garrett will be another guy that comes here and fits in. And I know there's going to be so much, obviously, in expectations. I know it's going to be a difficult journey. I know it's going to be a challenging journey, but I also know it's going to be one that he's going to find a lot of joy in. And I know he's going to love wearing this uniform and showing up to work every day with a bunch of guys that are like-minded that are really hungry to add another championship to this organization. And it really gives me great pleasure today to kind of publicly and officially welcome Garrett and Amy to our Yankee family. I look forward to the ups and downs that I know we're inevitably going to go through over the next several years, but I know it's going to be very fruitful as well. And a lot of that has to do with, I believe, is the character of the man we have the opportunity of signing today. With that, I would like to officially bring up Garrett and welcome him to our Yankee family. I would turn it around first, and then we can throw it on, and we'll take a couple more. Okay, Garrett, you can throw it on. It cleans up nice, doesn't it? Ladies and gentlemen, Garrett Cole. Hello, everyone. Okay, well, I'd like to start with something that's pretty special to my heart. If I could have Scott and Hal if you guys could stand up. Amy, if you could come back over here. Just like to say, I've always been here. That's great. You kept it. Okay, so I have a few thank yous. First, I'd like to thank God for blessing me with this amazing opportunity to fulfill my dream. I can remember as a little boy dreaming about being a Major League Baseball player, specifically a Yankee. And like Brian said, it's the right time and the right place to take that step, and I'm just tremendously excited. And I hope there's a lot of young boys out there that chase their dreams, just like I did. I'd like to thank my parents as well. My sister Erin and my wife Amy for the amazing support over the years. Family is so important, and to have a good backbone and have people that unconditionally love you and support you. Truly blessed in that regard as well. I'd like to thank Scott. We've had a really unique relationship over the years. I grew up playing baseball against his son, and so I've known him for almost over 15 years at this point. And that's pretty unique, I think, in this game. We have a very special relationship, and this is, I guess, the culmination of all of it. So I'd like to thank you and your staff and all their hard work to get us to this position. I'd like to thank my teammates that I've played with along the way, from high school to UCLA to Pittsburgh to Houston. There are a lot of individual stats in this game, but they're not any good if you don't have the support from your teammates. I've learned a lot over the years and a lot of things from guys that have been so gracious with information, taking me under their wing, teaching me how to go about the game the right way, supporting me on the field, backing me up, and I can't thank them enough. I'd like to thank a few specific coaches. One of my dearest friends, essentially my brother, Zach Done, essentially taught me how to throw a baseball. So I'd say he did a pretty good job at that. Coach Savage at UCLA was instrumental in developing really all of our maturity while we were there, learning how to handle a school workload and as well as a sport in college, trying to be as professional about it as we could as we kind of grew up in that environment. My pitching coaches along the way were A Siridge and Brent Strom put a lot of time into trying to get us all better. I think I would also be remiss if I didn't mention a few other names, special to the baseball family. Marvin Miller specifically, what a special year for him to get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We've seen competitiveness blossom and free agency blossom and he played a major role in that. Kurt Flood as well, challenging the reserve clause was essential to the blossoming sport we have today. And to all the players that have sacrificed for us to get us in this position and preserve the integrity of the game that we all love. I'd also like to thank the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees for bringing me on. Like I said, it's been a dream come true. Brian for hanging in there for all those years. Damon Oppenheimer's not here, but Damon, Randy, Brian have in their own way reached out or stayed in touch and passed along good wishes along the journey until this point. I think nothing represents the brand of the Yankees better than the class that they have shown over the years. Some people don't quite take the word no as well as these guys did and I would say it paid off, that's for sure. So I think that's pretty much about it for me right now, so thank you. Thanks, Garrett. We'll take several questions from the media that's assembled here. We have wireless mics on both sides. And if you would be kind enough to introduce yourself to Garrett as you ask your question, we can take several now. Over to my right, Garrett. I'm sorry if I could have you back on. Garrett, I'm Brendan Cuddy with NJ Advanced Media. Why did you choose the Yankees? Because it was my dream. I had a second opportunity to chase it and it's the best organization in my opinion in the league. There's a process here that Brian spoke to and that he just alluded to a couple minutes ago about trying to bring the best people at each individual position to surround everybody with the best opportunity to succeed. I think they've demonstrated that certainly through Brian's tenure over the last two decades. So it instills a lot of confidence as a player when you hear those things and it doesn't hurt to play for your favorite team. Take two in the middle. Be patient for the mic. Julio, pass it over to John. Welcome to the Bronx. Bienvenido. When did you become a Yankee fan and why? Julio Pao on Latino Sports. My father went to middle school and a little bit of high school here in New York. He fell in love with the Yankees. Some of his favorite players are Willie Randolph and Mickey Rivers. I was always a baseball fan. I loved the game. I played it from a young age. I don't know. I feel like it's hard not to fall in love with the Yankees from like 94 to 2002. He obviously was partial to the Yankees and every young kid wants to be like their dad, right? So I wanted to be a Yankee fan. I grew up going to a lot of Angel games because it was the one baseball outlet that was closest to us. I was fortunate to be able to watch a lot of Major League Baseball as a kid. The Yankees are on at four o'clock every day so I'd rush home from school, pop the TV on outside. Maybe invite a couple of my buddies over and Tyler and Charlie and we'd sit on the patio and watch the Yankees games. We had a wonderful opportunity to go to the 2001 World Series where I held, I had that sign. And I think that was probably the only time the entire nation was rooting for the Yankees after the unfortunate events earlier that year. So I mean, it's just what a traditional, what a franchise of tradition and success and championships and it kind of embodies the true American dream. Garrett at Randall with the WFN in Sirius XM, welcome to New York. A couple of questions. How difficult was it to turn down the Yankees at the time in which you were drafted and make the momentous choice to go to UCLA? And second question, was it emotional to shave? To address the first question it was extremely tough. My dad and I were really thorough and we took a lot of months to think about the decision. We wrote a lot of stuff down, he's probably got it somewhere at the house. But ultimately we just felt that honoring the commitment that we made to UCLA, honoring the commitment that we made to education I mean it was just such a focus, my dad has a PhD, it was just kind of ingrained in us. My sister and I, as young kids to kind of pursue that. And I felt that kind of building that foundation in that environment was going to be really beneficial for me and ultimately it was. And I've experienced razor burn now for the first time in the last 10 years. Bruce in the front, yeah you can pass it that way, great. Garrett, welcome. Bruce back to WNBC TV. The pressure of pitching in New York, it's a little different than pitching in other places. Do you embrace that pressure? Do you welcome chasing a world championship with this ball club? Well I mean pressure is a privilege, pressure comes in situations that you've earned right. You know you pitch in big games in September and October because you've played well all year. So with that in mind you have to have a process that you know that you need to stick to to perform in those games because I mean we can say it's just another game but we know when it gets to October that it's really not. I came eight outs away from getting a ring. I felt like I could see the light underneath the door and then it was slam shut in our face where it was probably never really opened actually. But I'm as hungry as ever to finish that journey, finish that challenge. And in my opinion there would be no better place to do it than New York. Hi Garrett, welcome to New York, Justin Walters with PIX 11. Could you explain more about this 30 pound contraption and what was your reaction to when opening it, does it play music and how much have you used it since receiving it? Well it is a large gold home plate probably about 12 inches high and the size of home plate. And when you open it it's embroidered in pinstripes and there's an iPad that kind of opens up to the top with everything you need to know about the Yankees organization background on the sign runners, background on the front office and the development program, spring training stuff, where to live in Manhattan, where to live outside of the city, personal messages from some of the players, Brian, Aaron, if I'm forgetting somebody I'm sorry, but it was really quite nice. I was impressed, I was also impressed with the wine that Lou Cacuzza, I got to throw one out to Lou. He was running my mouth in the clubhouse on the visiting side and he knew exactly what bottle to have Ben get and it was a nice choice. But the contraption was really sweet, I guess I'm a millennial right, so we're all suckers for tablets so I could pull the tablet out and play along with it. But it was really informational for us and then once we came to terms there was a Yankees hat in there which I don't think I took off for like three days. So it was really nice, it was an efficient way to get a lot of information across. Yeah, it was the only sort of gesture that was given to us so that was special. Thank you. We can take one more if there is one. You can pass right behind you again. Welcome to New York, my name is Jennifer Williams, I'm with Fox 5 New York. For Game 3 of the ALCS, what was going through your mind when you took the mound knowing that you were going to be a free agent and this was a possibility that you could end up in New York? Those were not going through my mind at all. You're playing the Yankees in the Bronx and you're on the wrong side of the line there so you're worried about getting out of there with your tail not between your legs. I mean it was just an exciting opportunity. We had played really well against the Rays and pushed it to game 5 which we ultimately won. And then coming back here we had a tough task and we knew we had to play composed. We knew we had to play well. Yankees lineup is as talented as it comes. The quality of baseball that they played so we knew we had a formidable enemy and we needed to be on our game. I thought our players were focused. I thought Martin was as prepared as he could have been. Our pitching staff, our rotation was talking about the lineup that we were going to have to navigate through for most likely seven games at that point. That was a good idea of what our game plan was going to be. So we just wanted to stay focused and put our blinders on and go to work. And ultimately we did that. Thank you. Okay folks again thank you for joining us. And I guess before we break wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. Photogs again we will in the moments here break these tables down so we can get photos up here from the dais. Again thank you everyone. Enjoy your day.