The New York Yankees did not reach an agreement on a contract extension with Aaron Judge before the slugger’s self-imposed first-pitch deadline Friday.
General manager Brian Cashman confirmed that no deal was struck before the start of the season-opening game against the visiting Boston Red Sox.
Cashman said Judge rejected the Yankees’ offer of a seven-year, $213.5 million extension plus $17 million for the 2022 season, a total value of $230.5 million.
The extension’s average annual value of $30.5 million would have made him the second highest-paid outfielder behind only Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, who signed a 10-year, $360 million extension in 2019.
Judge, who turns 30 on April 26, will become a free agent at the end of this season without an extension. The right fielder has insisted he won’t discuss it after the season starts.
“The last thing I want to do is be in the middle of May and, after a good series, is talking about the extension or after going 0-for-4 and people being like, ‘You should have signed that extension,'” Judge said last month. “We’ll try to get everything out of the way right now while we’re still prepping and getting ready for the season.
“But once it’s April 7, packed house in the Bronx, it’s gonna be time to just focus on my ballgames.”
Cashman said Friday that the Yankees will try again to sign Judge in the offseason.
“We’re all disappointed right now that we can’t be talking about a contract extension today, but that doesn’t preclude us from talking about it hopefully in the future,” Cashman said.
Judge had one of his best seasons in 2021, hitting .287 with 39 home runs and 98 RBIs in 148 games. The three-time All-Star has a career .276 average with a .386 on-base percentage, a .554 slugging percentage, 158 homers and 366 RBIs in 572 games.
The Yankees and Judge are headed toward a midseason arbitration hearing. Judge asked for $21 million and the team has offered $17 million.
–Field Level Media
