Aaron Judge is off to a scorching start, leading the league with 10 home runs after Tuesday night’s walk-off home run, prompting many to ponder what kind of contract the Yankee slugger can receive in free agency if he keeps up his current pace.
Of course, free agency can be avoided if the Yanks and Judge can agree on an extension, something the two sides were unable to do before Judge’s Opening Day deadline, when Brian Cashman revealed that Judge turned down an extension offer totaling $230.5 million.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Cashman didn’t rule out the two sides continuing talks throughout the season, but if they do, they will no longer be talking about it publicly.
“We're not going to talk about it now going forward,” Cashman said, via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “Whether that means we're not going to talk, I'm not saying that, but we're not going to talk about it [publicly]. But he's been great. But that's no surprise, because he is great.”
Cashman didn’t confirm a date for the arbitration hearing that will have to happen with Judge, as the two sides couldn’t agree on a salary for 2022, either. The Yankees came in with $17 million, and Judge with $21 million.
As for the extension offer, many questioned why the usually tight-lipped Cashman would reveal the team’s offer to Judge, but Cashman said he doesn’t sense “any animosity” from Judge when talking with him since that Opening Day press conference, per Newsday.
If he did, I didn’t pay attention to it,” Cashman. “All that stuff feels like a month and a half ago now, so I don’t really think I need to reiterate it, but yes, his camp knew all about it, so I assume he knew all about it. And if you’re going to say he was upset by it, I’m not aware of that, and it certainly doesn’t feel like when I interact with him from then ‘til now.”
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