Aaron Judge is completely within his rights to accept or decline any contract offer that comes his way.
That said, he seems to have turned down a pretty fair offer from the New York Yankees.
Judge and the Yankees were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the outfielder’s Opening Day deadline. In a somewhat surprising move, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman point blank said their offer was a seven-year, $213.5 million extension, which Judge turned down. He’s reportedly looking for Mike Trout money, and if he were to get similar term (he's said to be unwilling to go under nine years), then you’re talking about a deal that possibly takes him into his 40s.
Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman, who reported what Judge’s reported ask was, said on his “Big Time Baseball” podcast that some executives think Judge’s decision ultimately could end up burning him.
“They never had a deal, and they are just not that close. Right now, I’d estimate they are about $75 million apart,” Heyman said. “My second column at the New York Post I wrote about this, and I suggest that he’s taking a big gamble. I’ve since talked to some more executives who think possibly he could end up on the wrong side of this. We shall see.”
It’s hard not to agree with those executives.
Judge, while a highly-productive offensive player, has a checkered injury history and will be entering his age-31 season when his next deal begins. Considering the possibility that he will need to become a full-time designated hitter during his next contract, the Yankees (and any other team next offseason) would be right to be skeptical of paying him like a long-term outfielder who has been durable.
There’s no disputing that Judge is an incredibly valuable player, one who deserves to be a Yankees lifer. And while he’s more than allowed to bet on himself, he is taking a substantial risk.
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