Yankees, Aaron Judge take first steps in negotiation dance
Yankees centerfielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates in the dugout after scoring in the fourth inning in Game 2 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Oct 20, 2022. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
LAS VEGAS – In a perfect offseason world, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman would like to get Aaron Judge’s contract done sooner rather than later.
There are the practical reasons, not the least of which is placating an already livid fan base that by and large would not handle well the franchise’s most popular player in years wearing a different uniform in 2023.
There is also this: Because Judge’s new contract is expected to be mammoth – most in the industry expect the final package to be at least $300 million – the Yankees will be extremely limited in what they can accomplish in regard to their other roster needs until the Judge situation is settled one way or the other.
“Optimally, if you could wave a magic wand, we would secure Aaron Judge and retain him and have him signed as soon as possible,” Cashman said Tuesday, the first day of the annual general managers’ meetings. “But he’s a free agent. He’s earned the right to be a free agent. So he’ll dictate the dance steps.”
Judge and his representation to this point haven’t dictated much, but it is safe to assume they will want the negotiations to play out as privately as possible.
Judge was not thrilled when the Yankees publicly disclosed the $213.5 million offer they made before Opening Day – Judge turned it down – and it was perhaps for that reason Cashman on Tuesday would not even acknowledge if he had touched base this week with the outfielder’s representation.
“No comment,” Cashman said.
The industry-wide expectation is that Judge will ultimately remain a Yankee, though Cashman said experience has taught him to enter the free agent process “not assuming anything.”
“The one thing I do know is I think he really enjoyed his experience here. Those were his words. And I know we certainly enjoyed the experience of having him,” said Cashman, who continues to work without a contract but is talking and working like a general manager who knows he’ll be getting a new one soon enough. “We were proud of drafting him and being a part of his career thus far and hope to be a part of his career the rest of the way. So we have to have some serious conversations. And we will, and hopefully we can retain him. But I have no feel for how we sit compared to curiosities that he has elsewhere, if he has any. So again, we’ll have to stay tuned and find out. But we’ll certainly make it tough on him, and I’m sure he’ll make it tough on us. Because that’s the nature of the beast.”
Judge officially on the market leaves the Yankees without a rightfielder but they have other needs as well. They also have a hole in left – the Yankees have interest in bringing back trade deadline acquisition Andrew Benintendi, a free agent – and one at first.
Anthony Rizzo opted out of the deal that would have paid him $16 million next season but the Yankees, who are expected to extend the first baseman the $19.65 million qualifying offer, have a significant interest in bringing the veteran back. Cashman said there is also an interest in retaining free agent righthander Jameson Taillon, though the GM indicated his rotation isn’t quite as high on the priority list as some other items because Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas are already in the fold.
“I think that’s a strong rotation right out of the gate,” Cashman said, though he did not rule out adding “pitching” in some capacity over the winter.
But all other needs, at least in terms of big pickups that might involve a significant layout of money, are likely on hold until Judge’s situation is resolved.
A situation that, based on the past when it comes to star players on the free agent market, probably won’t be resolved any time soon.
“It feels like, from a historical standpoint, the industry gets out of the gates in a tortoise-like fashion,” Cashman said. “Typically, at this early juncture [of the winter] you have some time, but you just saw with the Mets and [Edwin] Diaz, things can happen quick, too. When two parties lock in on each other and want something to happen it can happen quick.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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