The Yankees might have pulled off one of the most favorable superstar deals in recent memory when they locked up Aaron Judge on a nine-year, $360 million contract back in 2022. At the time, it was a massive payday, making Judge the highest-paid position player in baseball on an annual basis. Fast forward to today, and that contract is starting to look like a steal.
Comparing Judge’s Deal to the New Market
When Juan Soto inked his $700+ million megadeal with the Mets this offseason, it sent a shockwave through baseball. The price tag for elite talent has officially skyrocketed, and Soto’s deal is more than double what Judge will make in total earnings.
Granted, Soto is six years younger, which played a huge role in the length and structure of his deal, but when you compare their production, it’s hard not to feel like the Yankees got away with highway robbery.
Last season, Judge played a career-high 158 games, slashing .322/.458/.701 with 58 homers and 144 RBIs. Those are MVP-level numbers, and considering he’s won two of the last three AL MVPs, the price the Yankees are paying per season suddenly seems very team-friendly.
Bryce Harper Thinks Judge Should Have Gotten More
Even some of the game’s biggest stars believe Judge should have cashed in for more. Phillies slugger Bryce Harper spoke to The Athletic about the evolving free-agent market and how Judge’s contract now looks like a discount compared to what top-tier players are landing today.
“It’s the name of the game now,” Harper said, via The Athletic. “Guys are getting what they’re worth. It more shocks me that a guy like Aaron Judge didn’t get more than what he got (nine years, $360 million), or certain pitchers. You look at certain players and see what they’re doing and you can expect them to be in that tier of money.”
The Yankees Avoided the Steve Cohen Bubble
One reason the Yankees got such a favorable deal on Judge is that they signed him just before the latest spending boom hit Major League Baseball. Mets owner Steve Cohen has changed the market in a dramatic way, pushing salaries to record levels. That bubble burst this offseason when Soto and others cashed in, but the Yankees had already secured their franchise player before the inflation hit.
- Yankees’ veteran infielder shut down without timeline to return from injury
- Yankees Spring Training Nuggets: An emerging star, young pitcher dominating, Oswaldo wins?
- Bryce Harper thinks Yankees robbed superstar with $360 million deal
Looking at how the market has evolved, if Judge had hit free agency this past winter instead of two years ago, he might have commanded $450 million or more. Instead, the Yankees have him locked in at a price that, in retrospect, looks like an absolute bargain.