It is only a matter of time before the New York Yankees youth becomes eligible for massive contract extensions. The Baby Bombers are entering their primes, and with it will come luxurious contracts that could hit the $100 million mark.
Ranging from Aaron Judge to Gleyber Torres, general manager Brian Cashman must know what lies in the near future. Judge, who is arbitration-eligible until 2022, and becomes a free agent in 2023, is only two years from a major deal. Of course, the Yankees could elect to extend him before that, but he has a lot to prove before they feel comfortable splashing the cash over the next decade or so.
MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch believes that Judge still hasn’t proven his worth:
Pardon the expression, but I feel that the jury is still out on a Judge extension, and the team seems to be playing a wait-and-see game. Judge is earning $10.175 million this year, and he could get a nice raise next season, his final year of arbitration before potentially becoming a free agent in 2023. I imagine that they will find common ground, but Judge’s health over the next two years — as well as the unsettled nature of baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement — could play significant roles in determining how much the Yankees are willing to commit.
The Yankees provided Judge with the perfect trainer:
“Both of those guys took a dramatically different approach this offseason from what they’ve previously done,†Cressey said. “I’d say in both cases, they lifted less than they have in the past.â€