Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is having his best season yet, but he is still unsigned and set to enter free agency this winter.
General manager Brian Cashman, on the other hand, told reporters on Thursday that the club’s “The hope is that Aaron Judge will sign an extension.”
Judge is signed to a one-year, $19 million contract for the 2022 season.
The Yankees offered him a 7 year, $213.5 million contract before the 2022 season, but he declined, opting instead to bet on himself in the hopes of landing a bigger deal in free agency.
Taking that risk has paid off for Judge, who is expected to be an American League MVP candidate this season. He’s hit .298/.386/.676 in 102 games, with 43 HR, 10 stolen bases and 93 RBI.
Judge’s performance has helped propel with a 70-36 record, the Yankees have taken first place in the AL East, and the team appears poised to make a deep playoff run, possibly culminating in a World Series title.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show in May, ESPN’s Jeff Passan stated that If he’s in good health, Judge could command at least $300 million this winter.
If he gets that big, he’ll be the only outfielder to sign a contract which cost at least $300 million.
However, recently Juan Soto was signed from Nationals, is expected to join the list of highly paid outfielders.
In 2016, Judge made his debut in MLB, but his first full season in New York came in 2017. In 155 games, he hit .284/.423/.627 with 52 HR and 114 RBI.
In 2017, he was also named to his first All-Star team, as well as receiving his first Silver Slugger Award and winning the Home Run Derby. Since then, he’s been named to three more All-Star teams and received another Silver Slugger Award.
Last month, Judge expressed his desire to remain in Pinstripes. Given Judge’s importance to the Yankees’ success over the years, Cashman would be foolish not to make him a significant offer when the 2022 season concludes.
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