David Cone opens up on Yankees, Gerrit Cole, Dodgers and MLB woes in ‘27 | Klapisch

The end of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” represents another facelift for a sport that’s already becoming unrecognizable. You want to talk about culture shock?

How about the introduction of robo umpires this year? Or the expansion to 32 teams, which commissioner Rob Manfred is openly fantasizing about? Or the plague of the 10^th-inning ghost runner? Or $400-million-plus payrolls, thanks to you know who in Chavez Ravine?

You’re not crazy thinking MLB is hurtling towards its own apocalypse. The 2027 season could be the breaking point, with the mother of all labor disputes looming.

In the meantime, it’d be a good idea to appreciate what’s still sane and grounded in baseball. David Cone was a casualty of ESPN abandoning the Sunday night slot, but that just means more of Cone’s spot-on analysis on YES this summer.

He’ll be working 60 games in the booth with Michael Kay — double last year’s commitment. Cone admits he’ll miss the national forum, but the Yankees have always been family. It’s where he belongs.

Like everyone else who monitors the Yankees news cycle, Cone has a strong opinion about the season ahead.

Here are his thoughts on running back the same roster in ‘26, Gerrit Cole’s return, the Dodgers, YES, and what it would be like pitching in today’s game.

General manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner have come under fire this winter for not radically changing last year’s roster. What’s your verdict on the status quo?

Cone: First off, the race in the (AL) East is going to be tight. Toronto is very, very good. We saw that last year, the kind of resources they have. But so do the Yankees, they have an excellent team. Their outfield was, offensively, the best in the game. But the real strength is going to be pitching. Specifically, young pitching.

What we saw from Cam Schlittler last year is just a preview of some of the arms that are on the way up. From what I’ve seen on video, and what I’ve heard from scouts, the Yankees have arms that will soon be knocking on the door. They’re for real. That’s why I’m optimistic.

How do you feel about Cole’s return from Tommy John surgery? They’ll need him to overtake the Jays. Is that realistic, given the reconstruction of Cole’s elbow in his age-35 season?

Cone: I think Gerrit will evolve and start saving a little bit in the tank here and there, similar to his former teammate, Justin Verlander. You know, cruising in the mid-90s and then all of a sudden, he’s at 99 mph on his last pitch. He’s a craftsman with four pitches. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to incorporate that two-seamer, right-on-right, to set up his other pitches. I expect him to hit the ground running.

But even if Cole returns in June at full strength, and even if the Yankees get 30 starts from Schlittler instead of last year’s 14, do you understand why ticket buyers are so angry? If not angry, at least worn out. I mean, we’re at 16 years and counting since the last World Series

Cone: I get it. The Yankees are in the middle of Aaron Judge’s prime. And it’s not just any prime — it’s a historic prime. There’s no two ways about it; Judge has had a five-year run that rivals almost anyone in history. So you want to take advantage of that. That’s why it was important to get (Cody) Bellinger back; he’s still the perfect fit for the Yankees. And (Trent) Grisham is coming off a breakout year. The three of them made up the most productive outfield in the game.

No one doubts the Yankees are an April-through-September unicorn. But the failed Octobers are weighing heavily on the franchise’s legacy. Not even Steinbrenner and Cashman would dispute that.

Cone: I guess you’re right if you’re measuring it that way. But let’s also remember it’s a much more difficult postseason run than even 20 years ago. The expanded format makes it more challenging, not just physically but emotionally. There are so many random variants that are out of your control. All you can do is put yourself in the best possible position by continuing to improve your team.

It’s unfair for anyone to say, “George would’ve done things differently back in the 70s and 80s.” Well, that was a different world.

What do you make of the accusation that the Yankees aren’t spending enough?

Cone: It’s not just about payroll. There’s so much going on behind the scenes, including the infrastructure that Hal supports. The truth is no one is cutting corners in the Yankees organization.

Now, if you want to debate about whether the Yankees should’ve gone after this guy or that guy, that’s fair game for fans. Fans are allowed to say whatever they want, like whether the Yankees should’ve signed Bruce Harper, or traded for Verlander back in the day or gone after (Manny) Machado. As a fan, you can make any case you want, and those points would be valid. But the team the Yankees are running out there, with the farm system, especially on the pitching side, that’s a pretty good product. That’s what makes you sustainable.

To that point, what do you make of the Dodgers winning back-to-back championships, and three in the last six years? Does it feel like they’re pulling away from the industry, in part because of their wealth? I guess the real question is whether the Dodgers are too rich for baseball’s long-term stability.

Cone: People seem to forget about the luxury tax that’s already in place, right? The more the Dodgers spend on payroll, the more they spend in luxury tax. And that money goes right back to the smaller market teams. So there’s already a soft cap in place.

Except the Dodgers don’t seem to care about the luxury tax, not when they’re paying Kyle Tucker $60 million a year. They didn’t even need him.

Cone: But you have to consider where that luxury tax revenue goes — right back into the system from the bottom up. You see the Dodgers spending that kind of money, sure, but it’s not as if the rest of the industry isn’t getting some benefit from it.

There’s a lot of tough talk right now about this very issue. The rhetoric from both sides (league and players) is intensifying. Are you worried about 2027?

Cone: Of course I am. But the only ones who really know what’s going on are on the inside. Based on my experience, there’s a rhythm to labor negotiations. When it’s time to make a deal, the opportunity usually presents itself. Until then, both sides are going to test each other.

It would be a shame to lose any portion of the season. After all, this is more or less your relaunch on YES. I’m just wondering if, in your wildest dreams as a pitcher, if you had any inkling you’d end up in the broadcast booth someday.

Cone: Not really. As a player, you live in a bubble. You never really think about post-career because you’re so consumed with the job at hand. I got lucky. I knew nothing about broadcasting when I started, but (former YES president) John Filippelli took a chance on me. I’m very grateful.

So if you didn’t look to the future as a player, do you ever relive the past as a broadcaster? Do you remember what it was like being on the mound, throwing 90-plus with movement and a power delivery?

Cone: (Laughs) There’s something very real about the surreal. I see videos of myself and say, “Was that really me? How did I do that?” The feelings still come around. But the problem is, the older you get, the more you forget.

Then step into the time tunnel. Let’s say 1990-91, your peak years. You led MLB in strikeouts in 1990, led the National League in Ks in 1991. How would that version of David Cone do today?

Cone: Well, one thing I would notice for sure is the strike zone is different now. The pitches I got, the ones six inches off the plate, the ones (John) Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine got, would never be called strikes today.

The only advantage I see today is that high strike is being called again. So imagine Dwight Gooden throwing that curveball down AND up in zone, both getting called strikes?

(Laughs) Doc would strike out 400 today.

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