NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: In case you forgot, Aaron Judge is still technically playing this season without a contract. The slugger’s messy contract situation, as well as his scorching-hot start to the season, have been well-covered in all corners of Yankees universe, but the lead-up to his arbitration hearing could prove to fuel even more speculation than we’ve already seen. Since Judge is having an MVP-caliber season, coming to terms on a long-term deal at this stage likely won’t happen.
Given this assumption, according to Ken Rosenthal, the best-case scenario for Judge and the Yankees is if the two sides come to a pre-arbitration settlement on a contract for 2022 and agree to continue working on a long-term contract.