Aaron Judge has a multi-year offer from the New York Yankees headed his way, according to a report by MLB insider Jon Heyman on Thursday.
The slugger, who also received a reprieve earlier on Thursday when Mayor Eric Adams lifted restrictions on non-vaccinated athletes in New York City, is currently entering his last year under Yankees control with a precarious contractual situation brewing.
Tuesday’s deadline for teams and players to avoid arbitration passed with Judge and the Yankees unable to come to terms. While the 29-year-old was looking for a one-year deal worth $21 million, the team was at $17 million.
The two parties have roughly two weeks to work out some form of contractual agreement — whether that’s a one-year deal to avoid arbitration or a multi-year contract to confirm Judge’s stay in the Bronx for the foreseeable future. After that, the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger said he would not negotiate as to not provide a distraction during the season.
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That obviously opens up the possibility of him being poached by another club willing to spend big money that the Yankees have been hesitant to dole out this offseason.
Team owner Hal Steinbrenner has indicated that he wants to stay near Major League Baseball’s competitive balance tax (CBT), which is why New York wasn’t as aggressive on the free-agent market for the likes of Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, or Marcus Semien. According to Fox Sports, the Yankees have the third-highest payroll in baseball already at $239 million.
For a team that already has the massive contracts of Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole on their books, the Bronx Bombers look to be doing everything they can to ensure that they’ll be able to fit Judge’s deal seamlessly as well.
