The New York Yankees are trying to sign Aaron Judge to a contract extension before their 2022 season begins, and their latest offer to the star outfielder sounds like a step in the right direction.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Yankees have offered Judge a deal worth more than $200 million. While the exact length of the offer is unknown, Morosi says the average annual value is at least $28 million. That would make Judge the highest-paid position player in franchise history.
Apparently the offer is not enough. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the two sides remain far apart and are unlikely to come to an agreement.
Judge is set to make $17 million this season in the final year of his current contract. The 29-year-old has likely asked the Yankees for something close to the $35-plus million per year Mike Trout makes with the Los Angeles Angels, but that is not realistic. Previous reports indicated that the Yankees are willing to go as high as $30 million per year.
The big concern with Judge is his injury history. He played in 148 games last season but just 28 in 2020 and 102 the year before that. Judge’s inability to stay healthy is the main reason the Yankees are hesitant about offering him more than six or seven years.
Judge has a career .940 OPS and a pair of top-4 AL MVP finishes. He’s a crucial part of New York’s lineup, but you have to wonder if he will take the advice of one of his teammates.
