The New York Yankees can rest easy on Friday, knowing that they won’t go to war with their best player.
Aaron Judge and the Bombers were supposed to have their arbitration hearing on Friday.
He wanted $21 million and the Yankees were offering $17 million.
However, both parties settled in the morning: the slugger will make $19 million in 2022.
That was the logical solution all along: we won’t ever know why they waited to reach this point to decide it was the best outcome.
As MLB.com’s reporter Bryan Hoch states, “avoiding a hearing would be a big win for the #Yankees. We all remember how the Dellin Betances situation went down.”
Avoiding a hearing would be a big win for the #Yankees. We all remember how the Dellin Betances situation went down. https://t.co/s7sH0CuGXs
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) June 24, 2022
In February 2017, the Yankees offered $3 million and Betances, one of the top relievers in the league at the time, asked for $5 million.
The Yankees Didn’t Want The Betances Situation All Over Again
The arbitrator ended up favoring the team, and president Randy Levine went on a public rant against the player and his representation group.
Levine didn’t like that Betances wanted to be paid like a closer.
Betances left as a free agent eventually, and while fans like him and have fond memories of him, the front office and Levine, specifically, didn’t treat him well in the process.
Could you imagine the Yankees going that road again, but with the best and most influential player on their roster?
In the middle of a historic season in which they seem like a strong candidate to win the World Series?
Avoiding the arbitration hearing seems like the logical decision for all parties, even for Judge.
Now, he will reach free agency knowing that the Yankees are his first option, and that their door won’t ever be closed.
He is set to become a very rich man after the season.
NEXT: MLB Insider Reveals Aaron Judge's 2022 Salary Agreement
