NEW YORK -- Brian Cashman realizes Aaron Judge struck gold with his record-setting season, raising the price for the New York Yankees to keep their star slugger.
In the hours before Opening Day last April, Judge rejected a contract that would have paid him $213.5 million over seven seasons from 2023-29. He is eligible for free agency and will command far more after setting an American League record with 62 homers, tying for the major league lead with 131 RBIs and just missing a Triple Crown with a .311 batting average.
"There's a pot of gold there," Cashman, the Yankees general manager, said Sunday ahead of the Division Series against Cleveland.