Judge, Yankees agree on $19M deal
Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided an arbitration hearing Friday by agreeing to a
$19 million, one-year contract, a deal that leaves the slugger on track to become a free agent after the
World Series.
Unable to agree to a long-term deal in talks that ended on opening day, the sides split the difference between the proposed arbitration figures they exchanged on March 22: $21 million by Judge and $17 million by the Yankees.
Judge can make an additional $500,000 in award bonuses: $250,000 for MVP and $250,000 for World Series MVP.
“Excited that that's behind us and we can leave that portion of the show alone,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Telephone talks resumed this week, and the sides reached the deal just before they were to exchange written evidence they intended to present during a Zoom hearing before a three-person panel scheduled to start at noon EDT.
The slugging outfielder is in the midst of perhaps his best season, batting .299 with a major league-leading 27 homers and 53 RBIs in 69 games and putting him on track for his fourth All-Star selection in seven big league seasons.
Judge has shifted from right field to become the Yankees' primary center fielder. ROYALS CATCHER PEREZ HAS THUMB SURGERY >> Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez had surgery on his left thumb Friday and was placed on the 10-day injured list.
The operation repaired the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb, and he's expected to need eight weeks to recover, manager Mike
Matheny said.
The 32-year-old Perez missed nine games with a left thumb sprain earlier this season, then left a victory over the Angels on Tuesday with the UCL issue.
A seven-time All-Star, Perez had a career season last year, tying for the major league lead in home runs with 48 and setting a record for most home runs by a catcher. He also drove in an MLB-best 121 runs. He finished seventh in the American League MVP voting.
This season, however, he is batting a career-low .211 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 57 games.