Can Yankees get a long-term extension done with slugger Aaron Judge before Opening Day?
TAMPA, Fla. – Aaron Judge’s name was not on the Yankees’ list of settled contracts for arbitration-eligible players.
On a far greater scale, there was a promise of discussing a long-term extension before Opening Day, which is two weeks from Thursday.
So, the hour is at hand.
On Tuesday night, the Yankees announced they had come to terms on one-year deals for 11 of their whopping 12 arbitration-eligible players.
Joey Gallo, Gleyber Torres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, Chad Green, Wandy Peralta, Miguel Andujar, Jonathan Loaisiga, Kyle Higashioka and Clay Holmes all settled.
Judge asked for a raise from $10,175,000 in 2021 to $21 million on Tuesday and was offered $17 million from the Yankees.
Is there a creative (and quick) way to get Judge under the Yanks’ umbrella well beyond 2022, with opt-outs, escalators and awards bonuses?
Or is he about to play out his free agent walk year?
“If we’re able to talk and get something done before the season starts, that’d be ideal,’’ Judge said last week. “If not, then we’ll talk after the season.’’
Judge said he doesn’t want contract talks “to kind of be a distraction for us here,’’ so the Yankees have until April 7, opening day, to strike a deal.
Or else, the club risks losing its exclusive window to secure the face of the franchise.
“Judge is a very special player and a great Yankee, and we will be having (contract extension) conversations,’’ Hal Steinbrenner said recently.
The club’s managing general partner added that there was “not as much time, as usual,’’ coming out of the 99-day MLB lockout to discuss such terms.
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But you can bet the Yankees know where they’re comfortable going on a long-term commitment, while Judge understands his personal brand is better served in pinstripes.
Steinbrenner took time to mention the bankers and shareholders he’s responsible to, the yearly $80 million stadium bond he pays to the City of New York, even during the fan-less 2020 pandemic season, and the general high price of business in the Big Apple.
“You can talk about our revenues, but you’ve got to pay attention to the expenses, too, and we’ve got some significant ones,’’ Steinbrenner said. “It was a tough two years.’’
Meanwhile, Judge turns 30 in April, with an injury history, providing some genuine risk to a long-term investment.
All that said, both the Yankees and Judge cannot afford to make a deal during this negotiating window.