The Yankees got extra innings to work with after the rainout on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough. The team had an extra 24 hours to try and lock up Aaron Judge, but the face of the franchise will play this season on a year-deal.
GM Brian Cashman confirmed Friday that the Yankees and Judge failed to reach an agreement on an extension. Cashman said that the Yankees offered a seven-year deal starting in 2023 at $30.5 million per year, and Judge turned it down. Judge is set to make somewhere between $17 million and $21 million in arbitration this year, so it would have been an eight-year deal in total.
“The intent on both parties would be to stay here,” Cashman said. “He’s been a great Yankee. Our hope is at some point we’ll find that common ground.”
That common ground will now have to come in the offseason.
“This was the deadline,” Judge said before Cashman spoke. “I don’t want to be a distraction during the year. We have so many things to focus on, and a lot of good things happening, so I don’t want this to be a distraction for the team all year.”
The slugger, who initially set the Opening Day deadline for negotiations, still doesn’t have any set contract for this season, because he and the team were $4 million off when they traded numbers to try and avoid arbitration. Because of the owners’ lockout, the arbitration process will go into the season.
While Judge has professed his desire to remain with the Yankees for his entire career, one teammate signaled a warning.
“When it comes to the business side of it, there’s no secret,” Anthony Rizzo said. “Freddie Freeman isn’t a Brave anymore. There’s no loyalty in this game.”
That is the last thing Judge wants on his mind once the season opens.
“Today’s the deadline, so either we’ll be talking about an extension or no extension, then we’ll be done with it and on to baseball,” he said. “To be going down this route with the Yankees is something special. I know I’m here through this year, my last arbitration year, and that’s what I’m going to focus on. I’ve got one year to play, and contract extension stuff is nice, but I’ve got bigger things to focus on.”
Like a matchup against the Bombers’ biggest rivals, which Judge said he was pumped up for. “I slept great. … I’m excited, this is like the first day of school.”
The 29-year-old is coming off one of his most complete years in the big leagues.
The three-time All-Star slashed .287/.373/.544 with a .916 OPS, 39 homers and 93 RBI in 148 games in 2021. According to Baseball Savant, Judge was among the league leaders in average exit velocity (95.8 miles per hour), max exit velo (119) and hard-hit percentage (58.4%). He led the Yankees in WAR (5.4).
Overall, his six years in the big leagues have been exceptional, averaging .276/.386/.553 and a .940 OPS. He was the 2017 Rookie of the Year, runner-up to Jose Altuve in that same season and a Home Run Derby champion.
One major league executive suggested a five-year, $185 year deal would be a good one for Judge. He used comps from Alex Bregman and George Springer for a contract guideline. Bregman signed a five-year $100-million extension with the Astros in his age-25 season. Springer signed a six-year, $150 million deal with the Blue Jays after the 2020 season, when he was 31.
Judge had previously said that he wants to stay in New York.
“If it comes to it, maybe but like I said before, I want to play here,” Judge has said. “I want to finish my career here. There’s no better place to play. So I’m hoping we don’t get to that but if we do, I think I’ll be ready for it.”
With Matthew Roberson
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Source: Berkshire mont
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