Camila Sosa
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is pretty clear on his contract situation and how he will continue to approach it between now and the start of the 2022 season.
With less than a week to go before Play Ball, Judge confessed Thursday to Dan Martin of the New York Post that he will only continue to talk about a contract extension with the Yankees until before Opening Day.
“I’m going to stick with that deadline. I think it’s the best thing for both sides because then they can focus on what they need to do and I can focus on what I need to do, which is on the field,” Judge explained. “If we’re not close at that point, what’s the point of communicating in the season?”
Last week Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked about it and confessed that management will present Aaron Judge with an offer before the season begins.
“Between now and Opening Day we’ll make an offer,” Cashman said Saturday. “We are committed. We will make an offer and listen to what you have to say in response and then it will be ready before Inaugural Day.”
For his part, Judge remains optimistic that he will not have to go to free agency next season nor will he have to go to arbitration this year, as the Yankees offered him $17 million, while the outfielder is asking for $22 million.
“I’m always optimistic, but I know the days are passing and both sides want to do something about it,” added the 29-year-old ballplayer.
Since making his major league debut with the Yankees in 2016, Judge has been one of the most spectacular hitters in the entire circuit thanks to his incredible power in the batter’s box. In 2017, his rookie year, the outfielder led the American League in home runs with 52 and towed 124 runs, numbers that led him to win Rookie of the Year.
That same season he won the All-Star Game Home Run Derby, where he hit four home runs of more than 500 feet. In addition, he has been selected to the All-Star Game on three occasions, has 158 home runs in the circuit and in 2021 won his first Silver Slugger.
Aaron Judge Asks Teammates for Advice
Aaron Judge is negotiating a contract for the first time in his career and has sought advice from peers, past and present, on how to best handle the situation.
“I’ve talked to a lot of guys, some who are done playing and teammates who have gone through the process, especially with the Yankees,” Judge stressed to Martin. “I want to better understand what they went through and what it was like. That way I can try to get as much information as possible to prepare myself. … It’s like taking a practice test so nothing surprises you.”
Judge revealed that two of those teammates are Gerrit Cole and D.J. LeMahieu, who have both signed contract extensions with the Yankees in the past.
“I think when it comes to business I just try to encourage people to make the best decision for themselves and their families and to keep the emotions of contract talks off the field,” Cole said of the advice he gave Aaron Judge. “I don’t want to speculate … but I would say that when the Yankees want somebody and they have their backs against the wall, if Hal (Steinbrenner) wants to do it, he does it.”
