TAMPA – Let the negotiations begin.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees were unable to agree on a new deal to avoid arbitration by Tuesday’s deadline, with Judge demanding $21 million and the Yankees offering $17 million, the source said.
Passing Tuesday’s deadline doesn’t mean the parties will drop talks, and Judge is still a year away from becoming a free agent for the first time.
Negotiations for a one-year deal could continue, and The Post’s Joel Sherman reported on Monday that the team is preparing to talk to Judge about a long-term extension next week.
Judge made it clear last week that while he’s willing to talk about a contract with the Yankees now, once Opening Day is April 7, the right fielder won’t have any more discussions with the team until after the season because he doesn’t want to. it became a distraction.
If an extension is not agreed in the next two weeks and the parties go to hearings, they risk damaging the relationship as the organization may try to point out the player’s shortcomings in order to secure a lower salary.
Aaron Judge N.Yu. Message: Charles Wenzelberg
However, if they don’t strike a long-term deal before the opening, the Yankees will still have an exclusive negotiating window with Judge after the World Series before he goes public for the first time as a free agent.
The last players the Yankees signed before becoming free agents were Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks, and both have since had injuries ruin their careers.
The judge is another matter.
One of the reasons the Yankees have avoided the big buzz among free agents this offseason—and watched a superb class of free agents in shortstops, as well as first baseman Freddie Freeman signing elsewhere—is because managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner was thought not to have done so. He doesn’t want to add another huge contract because he prefers to pay the referee instead.
Steinbrenner said last week that Judge is “a very special player and a great Yankee. We will have talks in the coming weeks,” as the team opted to address more pressing issues regarding the 2022 roster following the MLB lockout.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hits during a recent practice. NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg
Although Judge and the Yankees did not agree on a one-year deal on Tuesday, the team did reach an agreement with other players eligible for arbitration. Joey Gallo received $10.275 million, Gleyber Torres $6.25 million, Jordan Montgomery $6 million, Isaiah Keener-Falefa $4.75 million and Wendy Peralta $2.15 million. Chad Green, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loisiga and Jameson Tylon also signed one-year deals.
Judge will turn 30 next month and have his best and healthiest season since 2017 as a rookie.
He made $10.175 million in arbitration last season, with some predicting he would make over $17 million this year. By comparison, the Nationals and star outfielder Juan Soto agreed on a $17.1 million deal on Tuesday.
“I’ve been outspoken about wanting to stay here in the pinstripe,” Judge said earlier this spring. “If it happens, it will happen. But if it gets to the point that it’s not [happen]as I said before, I enjoyed my memories here and the time with… my teammates.”
Judge and his team are no doubt keeping an eye on the deals signed by other top fielders in recent years, from Mookie Betts to Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, as well as teammate Giancarlo Stanton, who have signed free agent contracts that are at least until they get you 37.
But this post-lockout free agency past was anything but predictable: Carlos Correa signed a shorter contract — and with a different team than expected — and Trevor Storey got six years from Boston.
And, as the Freeman case showed, just because the situation seems perfect, the two sides can part ways, as the Braves did with their homegrown star when they barely touched base with Freeman before he left for the Dodgers.