Aaron Judge, Yankees agree to $19 million deal to avoid arbitration hearing
NEW YORK – Why couldn’t the Yankees have done this sooner?
After months of failing to reach a contract agreement for 2022 with their best player, the Yankees avoided arbitration with Aaron Judge on the day a hearing was to take place.
As first reported by MLB Network and New York Post columnist Jon Heyman, the Yankees will pay Judge $19 million this season. The club originally offered $17 million while Judge countered at $21 million.
According to MLB.com, incentives include $250,000 if Judge wins the AL MVP award and another $250,000 if he is the World Series MVP.
Judge had been prepared to participate in his own arbitration hearing, adding that he planned to wear a suit and introduce himself prior to the proceedings via Zoom.
Judge was being represented by his agent, Page Odle, whose client is an impending free agent after turning down the Yankees’ extension offer of $30.5 million per year from 2023 through 2029.
Earlier this week, Judge said that the impending arbitration case has not really been on his mind.
“I’m focused on trying to win games for the best team in the league,’’ said Judge, adding that it was all about business.
“Being here with these guys and what we’ve been doing the past couple of months has made it pretty easy just to focus on playing baseball,’’ Judge said.
As for the contract stuff, “that’s what I’ve got agents for.’’
Judge, 30, has been playing like an MVP, batting .304 with a major league-leading 27 homers and 53 RBIs in 68 games.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Aaron Judge, Yankees agree to $19 million contract, avoid arbitration
