New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge remains without a long-term contract and is set for an arbitration hearing on Friday to determine his salary for the 2022 season. The Yankees offered Judge a deal worth $17 million for the season, though he's seeking somewhere close to the $21 million range, according to reports. Ahead of his hearing, which Judge said he plans to attend via Zoom, the 30-year-old got brutally honest on what he's looking for in arbitration.
Aaron Judge on tomorrow's arbitration hearing: "It’s all business. For me, it’s plain and simple: I love this team, I love this organization and everything, but this is a business side of it that I don’t like at times."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) June 21, 2022
“It's all business. For me, it's plain and simple: I love this team, I love this organization and everything, but this is a business side of it that I don't like at times,” said Judge via Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch.
The Yankees and Judge have (thus far) failed to come to terms on a contract extension, leaving the door open for the possibility of the 6-foot-7 slugger leaving in free agency. Of course, the Yankees will do everything in their power to prevent that from happening, but unless they meet Judge's salary demands, they may have a difficult time ironing out a new contract.
Heading into his arbitration hearing, Judge's focus is clear. As much as he loves New York and the fan base, he wants to get paid what he's worth, and in his mind, that's $21 million.
By not entering the season with a new contract, Judge was essentially betting on himself in 2022. That's a gamble that's paid off massively for the outfielder, who leads MLB with 25 home runs and has been a catalyst for the Yankees jumping out to the hottest start in recent MLB history. He's due for a huge extension, but first, he'll sort out the arbitration hearing and determine a suitable salary for 2022.
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