The New York Yankees finished their season on Sunday night against the Houston Astros in Game 4 of the ALCS. The Bombers didn’t secure a single win against Houston, who continues to be their kryptonite year in and year out during postseason baseball.
However, management and the players need to turn their attention towards the off-season, where things are about to get dicey for general manager Brian Cashman. Not only does Cashman need to get some money off the books, but the team is still keen on retaining superstar slugger Aaron Judge after a historic 2022 regular season.
Without Judge’s contributions, the Yankees might’ve not even made the playoffs, so the monster extension he lands will be well deserved. In fact, first baseman Anthony Rizzo spoke on Judge and his performance, indicating his new deal will be justified.
“Whatever he gets is going to be astronomical, and he deserves it,” Anthony Rizzo said. “He bet on himself on the biggest stage, in the biggest market and did it with ease. He should be rewarded as the highest-paid player in the game. He’s the new gold standard, in my opinion.”
The Yankees want to keep Aaron Judge, but it’s not going to be easy:
At 30 years old, Judge hit .311 with a 42.5% on-base rate, including 62 homers and 131 RBIs across 157 games. For the second consecutive season, Judge played in a minimum of 148 games, alleviating any concerns that injuries may dampen his career.
- Yankees’ super-utility man is seeing his numbers plummet back down to Earth
- Yankees’ $98 million slugger in the middle of another ice-cold stretch
- Yankees could see this interesting pitching prospect get an MLB promotion
Having proved his health, there’s no question that he’s going to land a monster contract, whether it be from the Yankees or a team on the West Coast. Cashman offered the 6’7″ outfielder $31.5 million per season before the season even began, but he risked it all and turned down the offer.
After walking away with the single-season home run record and one of the best individual performances in the history of the game, the Yankees may have to pay him upward of $35 million per season, but the years on the contract is what Cashman will be trying to reduce.
A seven-year deal is worthwhile, but 10 years would leave judge at 40 years old and likely worth nowhere near $35 million per season.
Unless there’s a team out there that is willing to give him whatever he desires, the Yankees will likely try to keep the years lower and pay a little bit more for that time, getting the absolute most value out of the expected 2022 MVP.