Aaron Judge Sets a Deadline for Yankees Future


TAMPA, Fla. — Three weeks until the Yankees’ first game of the 2022 regular season. Until then, his biggest stars entering his final season before free agency are hoping to gain clarity about his future with the team.

“April 7, we’re not going to talk about that anymore,” said outfielder Aaron Judge on Tuesday, referring to the team’s season at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox.

He later added: “It’s a good drama and people were like, ‘Oh, are you going to sign an extension?’ Or after 0 for 4, ‘You should have signed this extension.’ We will try to get everything out of the way at this time as we are still gearing up and preparing for the season. But once we start April 7 and the Bronx flooding, it will be time to focus on winning games and that’s it.”

That game could be Judge’s pinstripe final opening day. He was selected in the first round in 2013, selected the Yankees in 2016 and became the face of the team in 2017. That year, his first full season in the majors was an All-Star, an American League rookie. year and second for most valuable player.

Injuries have sometimes slowed the 6-foot-7,282-pound Referee, but his production has not faltered. Although he has missed almost a quarter of the Yankees’ games (164 of 709 games) since the start of the 2017 season, he is the fourth most valuable player in Major League Baseball at that time. Fan Graphicswith a 24.5 win instead, trailing Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Jose Ramirez.

Last season – Judge’s healthiest since 2017 – he played in 148 games and led the Yankees many offenses including batting average (.287), home runs (39), innings (98) and base plus stroke percentage. managed in the category. (.916). He was also named an All-Star for the third time.

The judge’s mighty stick and keen eye on the plate are well known. His agility on the main trails and on the right field can surprise fans despite his size. And in a clubhouse that has had its fair share of turnover over the years – longtime Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner remains a free agent and catcher was Gary Sanchez. traded days ago — The Judge is one of the longest-serving Yankees and is known as a leader.

“It was great to play with him and watch him grow as a player and as a person,” said Giancarlo Stanton, another ambitious outfielder the Yankees bought before the 2018 season. “I hope the rest of our careers will be together. And I think we’ll figure it out.”

Another important factor in any potential contract extension for the arbitrator: his age. He’ll turn 30 next month, meaning he’ll be 31 for most of the 2023 season, the first of the new deal he’s signed. Given the aging curve, teams have increasingly avoided long-term contracts with players in their 30s, while being willing to make exceptions, at least for the types of stars that really impact a team and draw fans into the stadium.

Entering his final year before becoming a free agent, Judge is estimated to have earned around $17 million through salary arbitration. (The exchanging date of salary claims is March 22, which sometimes leads to long-term agreements.) The judge has stated that he has not wanted to go anywhere else for years.

“As long as I play baseball, I want to wear pinstripe clothes,” the judge said on Tuesday, the second day of practice at the Yankees’ spring training facility in Tampa. “It has been an honor and a blessing to be here, to have the chance to play for this franchise, to be surrounded by so many great players, and to walk in the footsteps of so many great old players who have played this game. There is no better place to play on this planet.”

He later added, “I want to stay pin-striped here. If this happens, it will. But if it doesn’t, I’ll enjoy my memories here.”

On Monday, Managing Director Brian Cashman said the team has yet to talk to Judge and his manager about an extension. And given that this spring training starts late and cuts off later a business dispute that ended last weekLike Cashman said, the Yankees are on the clock.

“We’d love to get it back if we could,” Cashman told reporters on Monday. “Like everything else, just like trades and free agents, you have to be on the same page and on the common denominator. The only way to find out is to have some conversations, first of all. These will happen and we will try to keep them as secret as we can.”

He later added, “We’re happy he’s a Yankee and it would be great if we could make him a taller Yankee.”

The judge insisted on Tuesday that he was not disappointed that the Yankees had not approached him with an offer to stay longer, nor was he worried that their terms would run out.

“Because, to be honest, we have a lot of gaps, positions and materials to fill,” he said. The team touched on one of these holes on Tuesday. Agreed to bring back first baseman Anthony Rizzo with a two-year contract.

Frustrated after each season where the Yankees fell short, Judge described 2022 as an important year. Like every year, the Yankees—the franchise that has the most World Series titles (27) in MLB but none since 2009—is finally looking to put an end to their championship drought.

because a New York vaccine regulation For people working face to face, it was unclear whether Judge will be able to play in home games this season. While policy may change, Judge on Tuesday avoided a question about the vaccine status, saying he was more concerned about the first spring training games later this week.

“We will cross that bridge when the time comes,” he said. “But a lot of things can change right now. So I’m not too worried about that right now.”

In terms of its future, the Judge’s history of spring training is not new. Many players have used this strategy successfully in the past. (To see: The Mets’ Francisco Lindor.) So, even if the Judge had indicated his preference, it would be hard to imagine him ignoring a fair or generous deal just because it arrived in May.

The judge also said on Tuesday that if nothing happens before opening day, he will speak to the Yankees after the season. But until then, the Yankees are the only team allowed to negotiate with him. Except for the next season, the Referee may speak to the other 29 teams.

Cashman noted that players often prefer to extend their contract before the season, so they no longer have to think about it. “But that’s also what agents are for,” he added. “Most of the time you can chat and the player isn’t part of it until the end.”



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