Big-name agent Leigh Steinberg offered a noteworthy prediction for the type of contract New York Yankees All-Star slugger Aaron Judge could sign coming off his historic season.
For a piece published Tuesday, Steinberg told Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports that Judge could land a guaranteed deal of $500 million over 10 years after the 30-year-old set a new American League single-season record of 62 home runs en route to becoming the favorite to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
“He immediately and dramatically enhances a team’s offensive output,” Steinberg explained about Judge. “He’s a good team player. And for any team that’s not sold out, he’s an immediate box office draw. So he might be one of the few players who pays for part of his contract in ticket sales.”
Steinberg helped negotiate the monster contract Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes received in the summer of 2020. Judge, meanwhile, rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer from the Yankees before Opening Day earlier this year.
Currently, Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout is the highest-paid player in MLB as it pertains to total value thanks to his deal of $426.5 million over 12 years.
“The question is: Are you paying a long-term contract for past performance? Or future projected performance? But if a franchise was going to make a bet on future productivity, he’s about the best candidate around,” Steinberg added about Judge.
After the Houston Astros swept the Yankees in the AL Championship Series, MLB insider Buster Olney reported that other clubs “can’t see a situation in which the Yankees don’t make sure that they get” a contract with Judge done. It’s unknown if New York would offer Judge $500 million or if the four-time All-Star selection would give his employer any discount to stay with the franchise.
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