How much did the Yankees agree to pay Aaron Judge?
MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge came to an agreement with the Yankees outside of arbitration on Friday.
The New York Yankees and star slugger Aaron Judge agreed to a one-year, $19million contract just hours before the two sides were scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Friday.
The deal represents a compromise between Judge, who is in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and the Yankees.
The three-time All-Star’s representatives had been seeking a $21m salary for this season, while New York countered with a $17m offer.
Judge can also earn an additional $250,000 if he wins the American League MVP award and another $250,000 if named MVP of the World Series.
Judge emerges as early MVP frontrunner
The 30-year-old has emerged as an early MVP frontrunner as the leader of a Yankees team who own the majors’ best record at 52-18.
Judge’s 27 homers in 2022 are five more than any player, and he is batting a career-best .304 through 68 games. He also ranks third in the majors in OPS (1.037) and third in the AL with 53 RBIs.
Judge reportedly turned down a seven-year, $213.5m extension offer from the Yankees during spring training, and the six-foot-seven outfielder’s stellar start to 2022 likely has him in line for a more lucrative payday when he reaches free agency in the offseason.
Those 2022 numbers would not have impacted Judge’s arbitration case, however, as any statistics after March 1 are not admissible per the agreement between MLB and the players’ association that ended this past offseason’s lockout.