Aaron Judge and Yankees agree to $19 million, one-year deal

New York. Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided an arbitration hearing Friday by agreeing to a $19 million, one-year contract, a deal that puts the slugger on track to become a free agent after the World Series.

Unable to reach a long-term agreement in talks that ended on opening day, the two sides split the difference between the proposed arbitration figures they exchanged on March 22: $21 million sought by Judge and $17 million offered by the Yankees. .

Judge can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses: $250,000 if he’s named the league’s MVP and $250,000 if he’s the World Series MVP.

The outfielder is in the midst of perhaps his best season yet, batting .304 with a major league-leading 27 home runs and 53 RBIs in 68 games. Enlisting his fourth All-Star selection in seven major league seasons, Judge hit a game-winning single in Thursday night’s 7-6 win over defending AL champion Houston.

Judge has helped propel the Yankees to a 52-18 record, the best in the major leagues, the best by the New York franchise in 70 games since 1939 and the best among any major league team since the Seattle Mariners. 2001. He also went from right field to become the Yankees’ primary center fielder.

Judge and the team reached the agreement before the scheduled noon start of a Zoom hearing before a three-person panel.

No statistics or evidence after March 1 were admitted, other than contract and salary comparisons, the period set when MLB and the players’ union agreed to the deal that ended the lockout.

Judge batted .287 with 39 home runs and 98 RBI last season.

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