Aaron Judge has been the face of the New York Yankees ever since his breakout campaign in the 2017 season. But his future with the team is in serious doubt since both sides can't agree to a contract extension.
Judge said that he wants to get the contract situation done before the Yankees season, which begins this afternoon against the Boston Red Sox. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the three-time All-Star and New York are not going to strike a deal unless a significant change occurs.
Barring a significant change in the next few hours, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will not strike a contract extension before his deadline of first pitch today, sources tell ESPN. The Yankees have proposed a deal for more than $225 million, but the sides remain apart.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2022
The Yankees have submitted an offer that would make Judge the highest-paid position player in terms of average annual value in team history. Such a price is well worth it for Judge, a beast at the plate and in the outfield. The 29-year-old has been a perennial top-10 player in all of MLB for years now. However, the Yankees' total offer is worth $225 million, which is less than what other stars got for their big contracts.
Although the Yankees payroll is among the highest in the league, trying to dance around an extension for Judge is a brutal sign of cheapness and incompetence. This is the one player that New York should throw all the money at to keep him around.
New York will likely play in the toughest division this season. The Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox should all be very good. The Yankees have legitimate title aspirations and have some areas of the roster that needs tweaking. Instead, they are dealing with the most basic thing a team would do with its franchise superstar.
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