SAN DIEGO — Eight years … $250 million to $280 million.



How high could the dollars go in the Gerrit Cole auction? That’s how high, said an executive of one team in the starting-pitching market. Not just into historic territory but also potentially well north of the records for total and annual average dollars for any pitcher, the executive predicted this weekend.



A deal worth eight years and $250 million would crush the record for most total dollars in a pitching contract, a mark currently held by David Price (seven years, $217 million). An eight-year, $280 million deal would also establish a record for the highest average annual value for a pitcher. The $35 million per year would wipe out Zack Greinke’s record of $34.417 million per season.



In addition, a $280 million contract would rank as the fifth-largest overall in the history of baseball, behind only Mike Trout ($426.5 million), Bryce Harper ($330 million), Giancarlo Stanton...