New Astro Gerrit Cole has chance to be part of something special

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (KTRK) -- Gerrit Cole, considered the load-shouldering ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff, is now getting a second chance at finding his groove.

In the offseason, the Houston Astros acquired the right-handed Cole in a trade that adds another quality arm to the defending champs.

Aside from a chance at a deep run, Cole now finds himself with a team that literally loves each other.

"From what I've seen, the hellos, the hugs, the 'hey, how you doings' - they're really genuine," Cole told reporters at Spring Training on Thursday.

Cole also finds himself contributing his talents to the Astros. He boasts a high-90s fastball, something that the Pirates apparently took for granted.

When the trade was made, veteran leader Brian McCann was one of the first to send Cole his appreciation of his arm.

"I wanted to let him know that, you know, that I'm excited. You add an arm like that to your rotation that was already great," McCann said.