Brian Cashman makes honest admission about Aaron Judge contract

Mar 14, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with media during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was surprisingly public in his contract negotiations with Aaron Judge prior to the 2022 season. Now, after Judge delivered a regular season for the ages, Cashman has been left to publicly concede that Judge made the right call for himself.

On Sunday, Cashman admitted that Judge made an “all-time best bet” on himself by turning down the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension prior to the season. Cashman said the Yankees still want to keep Judge, but conceded that the outfielder was going to get a “pot of gold” after the season, be it from the Yankees or someone else.

Aaron Judge made the “all time best bet” on himself & gave “a great gift” to baseball & Yankees fans, Brian Cashman said. He said he still wants to keep Judge but TBD. “There's a pot of gold but is yet to be determined what the gold, how much it weighs. But it is a pot of gold.”

— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) October 9, 2022

Cashman’s comments are not exactly a mea culpa, but they certainly seem like a concession on his part that it was Judge who got the preseason negotiations right. Cashman made the somewhat controversial decision to publicly reveal the offer Judge turned down in April, essentially in a bid to demonstrate that the Yankees made a serious effort to keep the star outfielder. Judge then went on to hit 62 home runs in an MVP-caliber season, and it’s quite clear that he will command far more than the Yankees had offered before the season.

The Yankees may still be the favorites to keep Judge, as only a handful of teams would have the capability of paying him what he will be worth. However, one other team keeps popping up as a potential landing spot, which certainly bears watching.