Sources: Aaron Judge settles with New York Yankees on $19M deal plus incentives to avoid arbitration
Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided their scheduled arbitration hearing Friday by agreeing to a deal that leaves the slugger on track to become a free agent after the World Series.
The sides agreed to a one-year, $19 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN. Judge can make an additional $250,000 by winning an MVP Award and $250,000 for World Series MVP, according to multiple reports confirmed by ESPN.
Hours after Judge agreed to the deal, New York was greeted with loud ovations by just its third home sellout crowd this season as the Yankees hosted the Houston Astros. Judge went 0-for-4 as the major-league-best Yankees (52-19) lost to the Astros 3-1; it was just their fourth defeat in their last 23 games overall.
"I knew it would work out one way or another," Judge said of reaching a settlement. "I really wasn't too concerned about what it was going to be. Just happy we were able to agree on a number, settle this thing, and not go into court there."
Judge, 30, is in the middle of perhaps his best season, batting .299 with 27 homers and 53 RBIs in 69 games. He hit a game-winning RBI single in New York's 7-6 victory over Houston on Thursday night.
"Excited that that's behind us and we can leave that portion of the show alone,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Judge and the Yankees were scheduled for an arbitration hearing. No statistics or evidence from after March 1 were admissible other than contract and salary comparisons, timing set when Major League Baseball and the players' association agreed to the deal that ended the lockout.
On the eve of this season, Judge turned down a $213.5 million contract offer from the Yankees, choosing instead to leave open the possibility that he could become a free agent this fall. Sources told ESPN's Buster Olney the Yankees offered to settle at the midpoint -- $19 million. But Judge declined, and instead aimed for an arbitration victory.
Judge has been paid at a prorated salary based on the Yankees' $17 million offer.
"Glad we were able to get through that process," he said. "Took a little longer than expected but thankfully we're past it. Time to focus on winning some games."
This season Judge is on pace to become the first player in more than two decades to reach 60 homers. He has an OPS of over 1.000 while being the likely front-runner for the AL MVP.
When Judge has been on the field, he has been one of the majors' best players. In his first full season in 2017, he played 155 games, clubbed 52 homers, scored 128 runs, won the AL Rookie of the Year and finished second to the Astros' Jose Altuve in MVP voting.
But Judge missed 142 games from 2018 to 2020 with a range of injuries. Playing 148 games in 2021, Judge returned to preeminence, finishing fourth in the MVP voting.
The terms of Judge's settlement with the Yankees were first reported by the New York Post.
Information from ESPN's Buster Olney and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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