Cashman: There is an offer on the table
Aaron Judge, proud owner of a new MVP trophy, also has an offer from the Yankees to stare at. Brian Cashman acknowledged for the first time Thursday night that the club has extended another contract proposal to its freshly minted Most Valuable Player — the first publicly known offer since spring training. “We’re on the clock. So we’re certainly not going to mess around,” the Yankees general manager said from this year’s Covenant Hous e Sleep Out at Silverstein Family Park, where he was set to sleep outside to raise awareness and funds for homeless youth. “So of course we’ve made another offer.”
Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million offer from the club before the season began, a deadline the star outfielder imposed. Judge proceeded to enjoy a monster year in which he set the club and AL record for home runs (62), which culminated with the MVP honor shortly before Cashman spoke.
Cashman texted Judge to offer congratulations and said he has stayed in contact with the free agent, as well as his agent, Page Odle. According to Cashman, the conversations began the day after the Yankees’ season ended.
“Hal [Steinbrenner] and I have both talked to Aaron Judge together. Hal has talked to Aaron directly as well more than once at least,” Cashman said. “We’re engaged with them.”
Cashman, who publicly released the terms of the spring training offer Judge declined, did not reveal the specifics of the more recent proposal or when it was proposed.
“We will do what we can to make sure he stays where he belongs. But that’s our opinion,” said Cashman, who called Judge’s MVP nod “well-deserved.”
Cashman cautioned that he does not know about Judge’s market. He said he has “no idea” about the other offers
Judge is looking at or what elements in a contract are most important to Judge.
He placed the ball in Judge’s and his representation’s court.
“They know where the New York Yankees stand,” said Cashman, who still is operating without a new contract but said his own deal “will work itself out over time.”
If Judge leaves the team that drafted him in 2013, the widespread belief is the Giants, his favorite team as a child growing up in Northern California, lurk as the most likely landing spot.
Cashman said he believes Judge “loved” being a Yankee but acknowledged the unknown factors that might tug at the 30-year-old.
“Does he daydream about elsewhere?” Cashman said. “Only he can answer that.”