The Yankees and Judge were not close to reaching an agreement in their negotiations, according to sources; in fact, they weren't really even in the same financial universes. In speaking with reporters Friday, Cashman outlined the Yankees' extension of $213.5 million over seven years, or $30.5 million a year -- and sources said that total package was about 60 to 70% of the range that Judge sought: $36 million annual salary over a contract length of nine or 10 years.
In designing their offer to Judge, industry sources say, the Yankees considered the contracts among the big league's four highest-paid outfielders:
Giancarlo Stanton, Judge's teammate, signed his 13-year, $325 million deal at age 25.
Bryce Harper signed his 13-year, $330 million deal with the
Philadelphia Phillies at age 23 -- for an average annual salary slightly above Stanton's, about $25.4 million annually.
Mookie Betts whose 12-year, $365 million deal is considered to have about $26 million in annual value, in present-day value, because of the high share of deferred money (a trademark of recent
Dodgers contracts).
Only
Mike Trout's whopper deal, signed at age 27, exceeds the annual rate that Judge sought: $426.5 million over 12 years, for an average annual value of $35.5 million.
The Yankees' perspective through their negotiations with Judge, who turns 30 on April 26, was that because Stanton, Harper, Trout and Betts signed at much younger ages than Judge, their respective teams had a greater chance to invest in the peak years of those players' careers. Harper, Stanton, Trout and Betts all first signed professionally out of high school, accelerating their paths to the big leagues at a younger age. Judge attended Fresno State, and was picked by the Yankees in the first round of the 2013, when he was 21 years old.
The Yankees' offer would've covered Judge's age 31 through age 37 seasons. Yankees officials felt they might be able to entice Judge by offering more in annual salary than Stanton, Harper and Betts, even though it was slightly less than Trout. Judge's salary request was slightly north of where Trout stands, and depending on the accounting, would make him the highest-paid player in baseball.
...
In the negotiations between Judge and the Yankees, Judge's camp made the argument that he's worth more to the Yankees because he's already established as a New York star. The Yankees countered that the pinstriped franchise is worth more to Judge than any other team would be, as a foundation for his brand. A decade ago, the Yankees and All-Star second baseman
Robinson Canoreached an impasse in their negotiations, and Cano signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the
Mariners -- and Cano hasn't appeared in a playoff game since.
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