Major League Baseball

Yankees plan to give Aaron Judge long-term contract offer

Updated Mar. 26, 2022 11:23 p.m. ET

Rumors started to circulate over the last few days that the New York Yankees would soon be offering a long-term contract extension to star slugger Aaron Judge.

On Saturday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed it.

"Between now and Opening Day we’ll make an offer and he’ll obviously receive an offer and all the conversions will have taken place and will either resolve into a multiyear deal or it won’t," Cashman said.

"We’re committed. We’ll make an offer and hear what he has to say in response and then it will be pencils down before opening day," he said.

The Yankees open on April 7 at home against the Boston Red Sox.

Judge said Saturday he was "pretty sure" he doesn’t want to negotiate a new contract during the regular season. But he has also made it clear he isn't interested in going anywhere else.

"We haven’t decided yet, but for right now that’s what we’ve got," Judge said. "I want to be here. Get a chance to play here for quite a few more years, that would be great. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m not too worried."

The outfielder, who turns 30 next month, is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series.

The Yankees and Judge so far have failed to reach a deal for 2022, which could result in the two sides heading into arbitration during the season. He asked for a raise from $10,175,000 to $21 million, and the Yankees offered $17 million.

"Our position has always been, we wind up only in a hearing if we’re dragged there," Cashman said. "We only go when forced to go. We’re not afraid of going. Our history shows that we stay out of that arena unless we’re compelled to get there. We’ll see how it all plays out."

Judge, who hit .287 with 39 homers and 98 RBIs in 148 games last season, hopes an agreement can be reached to avoid arbitration.

"Go back and forth until we, maybe, can settle on something before the court date and if not, we’ll see each other in court," Judge said.

Judge said the contract talk isn’t a distraction.

"Not really, I’m a baseball player," he said. "I’m going to come out and do my usual on the field. I’ve got people that are going to worry about the other stuff for me and put me in the right position and give me the right answers. If I take care of what I’ve got to do on the field, everything is going to workout."

The Yankees selected Judge in the first round of the 2013 draft. He made his big-league debut in 2016 and was AL Rookie of the Year in 2017, when he led the AL in home runs (52), runs (128), walks (127) and strikeouts (208).

He is a three-time All-Star with a .276 batting average, .386 on-base average and .554 slugging percentage in five-plus seasons.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.