Yankees’ Aaron Judge is preparing to cash in after one-year deal

New York Yankees, Aaron Judge
Apr 12, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) points to his teammates after scoring a run against the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees and Aaron Judge found a compromise to avoid arbitration this year, solidifying a one-year, $8.5 million deal. The future for Judge looks plentiful, especially in the cash department.

The $8.5 million for a player of Judge’s magnitude seems like a steal, and it realistically is, but it’s designed to offer up more down the line in arbitration. Keeping him in Pinstripes appears to be the priority for the long term, and as he enters his fifth year in the big leagues, Judge will earn the most he’s ever seen in his career up to this point.

The 6-foot-7 slugger earned just $684,300 in 2019, to give you an idea of how much his pay increased this offseason. The Yankees also re-signed Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez to deals, locking down the catcher and third base position.

Sports Illustrated detailed an instance where arbitration can be a negative thing for players, and for former Yankee, Dellin Betances, it was precisely that. Betances was asking for $5 million after three consecutive All-Star appearances. Still, the Yankees wouldn’t budge over $3 million, forcing him to take the lesser amount after the court favored the Bombers.

Yankees president Randy Levine detailed why Betances didn’t deserve the amount he requested.

“It’s like me saying, ‘I’m not the president of the Yankees, I’m an astronaut,’ Levine told reporters at the time. “I’m not an astronaut and Dellin Betances is not a closer.”

Given the harsh reality of arbitration, players like Aaron Judge often get what they’re asking for. Team officials are blatantly honest during this arbitration hearings, telling the players directly what their flaws are and why they should be paid less. I don’t expect this same sequence to occur in Judge’s case, who has the potential to be the best player in the league given a full bill of health.

It’s worth noting that other Yankees — those that spent their entire careers in New York — also went through arbitration hearings. Both Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter went through the same process as Betances. The relationships between Rivera, Jeter and the Yankees evidently remained intact, but the situation in 2017 is a constant reminder of what could go wrong.