The 2019-20 baseball offseason is already much more exciting and interesting than it was a year ago, when transactions and activity were virtually frozen until Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed. And that didn’t happen until late February, when teams had already reported to spring training camps.

Meanwhile, the NFL and NBA make free agency an event which fans and media follow with excitement. MLB still isn’t there, but at least top free agents like Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg are now signing in December as expected. Baseball’s winter meetings — essentially the sport’s signature offseason event — is meaningful again.

Cole’s nine-year, $324 million (!!) contract with the New York Yankees was the main topic for Wednesday’s WISE Sports Radio baseball segment with Pat Ryan:

I had to get that “Steele Walker, Texas Ranger” joke in there. Yeah, yeah, yeah — Gerrit Cole, MLB Draft, whatever. I need to make my joke! Even if I didn’t think of it myself.

And if the night couldn’t get any better, we have have Steele Walker Texas Ranger https://t.co/WKyYKDmwzn

— Stephen (@b_outliers) December 11, 2019

Here’s the comparison I saw to Cole’s contract and what the Los Angeles Angels paid for Angel Stadium:

Gerrit Cole cost $1M less than Angel Stadium and the 133 acres of ripe, undeveloped land that surrounds it. Unreal.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) December 11, 2019

And if you’re not familiar with Mr. Baseball (starring Tom Selleck) from 1992…

Thanks to WISE Sports Radio for allowing me to post this on my site, along with Mars Hill University (which sponsors the stream), host Pat Ryan, and Vistanet for sponsoring my MLB segment.