As Aaron Judge continues free agency negotiations, there still seems to be some lingering frustration with how preseason negotiations with the Yankees were handled.
In an interview with Time after being named the magazine’s Athlete of the Year, Judge looked back on Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s decision to publicly disclose the team’s contract offer to Judge, which he turned down in what turned out to be a brilliant business decision.
Still, it seems like a tactic that Judge didn’t appreciate.
“We kind of said, ‘Hey, let’s keep this between us,’” Judge told Time.
“I was a little upset that the numbers came out. I understand it’s a negotiation tactic. Put pressure on me. Turn the fans against me, turn the media on me. That part of it I didn’t like.”
Cashman said he disclosed the $230 million offer because he felt it would get out anyway, but it is not a move he typically makes, ever. Still, it didn’t take long for Judge to admittedly second guess not signing that offer when he got off to a slow start in 2022, but he took off in historic fashion, and set himself up for a history payday after his bat woke up in late April.
“Then you kick yourself in the butt and say, ‘Nah, man,’” Judge said of his 2022 start. “’Come on.’”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)
