TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The New York Yankees exchanged proposed salaries with slugger Aaron Judge, who asked for a raise from $10,175,000 to $21 million on Tuesday and was offered $17 million.
Judge’s was the highest request among the 31 major league players who swapped figures with their teams before Tuesday’s deadline, and the Yankees submitted the largest offer. He and the club are expected to discuss a long-term agreement.
“If we’re able to talk and get something done before the season starts, that’d be ideal,’’ Judge said last week.
The outfielder led the Yankees with a .287 batting average, 39 homers, 98 RBIs and .916 OPS last year in his healthiest and fullest season since 2017. He turns 30 on April 26 and is eligible for free agency after the World Series.
“I want to be a Yankee for life. I want to wear these pinstripes for the rest of my career and represent this great organization and bring a championship back to the city. But you never know what the future holds for you. That’s kind of out of my hands,” he said at the end of last season. “All I can really do is continue to show up here, continue to try to lead these guys and give all I can for this team and this city every single day. And, whatever happens on the flip side of that with contracts and this and that, getting traded, it’s out of my control.”
New York reached agreements with outfielder Joey Gallo ($10,275,000), second baseman Gleyber Torres ($6.25 million), left-hander Jordan Montgomery ($6 million), right-hander Jameson Taillon ($5.8 million), infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($4.7 million), right-hander Chad Green ($4 million), left-hander Wandy Peralta ($2.15 million), right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga ($1.65 million), infielder/outfielder Miguel Andújar ($1.3 million), right-hander Clay Holmes ($1.1 million) and catcher Kyle Higashioka ($935,000).
Arbitration-eligible players who didn’t reach agreement with their teams are set to have their cases heard by three-person panels over video conference after opening day, a scheduling oddity necessitated by baseball’s 99-day lockout that pushed back the start of spring training and the regular season.
The deadline to exchange salary arbitration numbers was delayed from mid-January until Tuesday. No dates have been set for hearings, which usually occur in February. Teams and players can continue to negotiate and may agree on a deal at any time.
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