Arbitration ineligible, Judge to make $622,300
American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge will earn $622,300 as part of his oneyear contract with the Yankees.
Judge, who led the AL with 52 home runs, is not eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2019 season. He agreed to a split contract in which his salary would drop to $272,250 in the unlikely event he is sent back to the minors.
New York uses a scale based on service time for its players not eligible for arbitration.
Yankees pitcher Luis Severino will make $604,975 after he went 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA. His agreement calls for a minorleague salary of $275,488.
New York also reached agreements with first baseman Greg Bird ($582,000/$272,500), pitcher Jordan Montgomery ($580,450/$228,413) and infielder/outfielder Tyler Austin ($558,600/$230,814).
With an influx of young players not yet eligible for arbitration, the Yankees are on track to get their payroll under the luxury tax threshold for the first time since the current tax began in 2003. Struggling Tebow demoted: Tim Tebow was reassigned by the Mets to their minor-league camp after he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in an exhibition against the Astros.
The former NFL quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner was 1-for-18 with 11 strikeouts in seven bigleague exhibition games. The 30-year-old, who is not on the Mets’ 40-man roster, has been hampered by a left ankle sprain.
Tebow’s only hit was a hard single to center off Washington’s Erick Fedde on March 2. He has been used solely as a designated hitter or pinch hitter.
Tebow, an outfielder, can appear in games for New York but would have to be brought over from the minor-league side. Mets’ Wright remains sidelined: Mets captain David Wright won’t participate in baseball activities for two months because of back and shoulder issues, another setback in his attempt to return from injuries that have sidelined him for two years, and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is sidelined after hurting a wrist.
Wright, 35, has been limited to 75 regular-season games during the past three years.
Cespedes, 32, hurt his right wrist while swinging in a game on March 6. He was to play Tuesday but was scratched.