Inclement weather provided the New York Yankees with the gift of an extra 24 hours to come to terms on a long-term contract with slugger Aaron Judge before his self-announced deadline of Opening Day, which was moved to Friday afternoon.
Friday's first pitch against the Boston Red Sox came and went without the signing of any agreement.
Judge said last month he "wants to be a Yankee for life" but also made it clear he wished to both avoid a during-the-season arbitration hearing and end contract negotiations after Opening Day. Judge previously filed for $21 million for the 2022 campaign, but the Yankees countered with $17 million.
A report emerged last week claiming the Yankees were "willing to pay in the range of $30 million a year" to keep the 29-year-old three-time All-Star who can hit free agency following the season. Per Marly Rivera of ESPN, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman directly told reporters ahead of Friday's game that the club offered Judge a seven-year, $213.5 million extension that would've started next year after he earned $17 million for 2022.
"We were unsuccessful in concluding a multiyear pact," Cashman explained. "Obviously, our intent is to have Aaron Judge stay as a New York Yankee as we move forward, and I know that is his intent as well, which is a good thing. We're going to be entering those efforts in a new arena, which would be at the end of the season when free agency starts, and maybe that will determine what the real market value would be, because we certainly couldn't agree at this stage on a contract extension."
Cashman added the Yankees' final offer was an eight-year deal that would've been worth somewhere between $17 million and $21 million for this season and then increased to $30.5 million per campaign for seven years.
"Not now, but hopefully later, that would be my message," Cashman responded when asked about fans likely reacting negatively to this update.
More must-reads:
For the first time in 2025, the Yankees have dropped Anthony Volpe into the ninth spot in the batting order, a clear strategic shift from manager Aaron Boone to ease pressure on the young shortstop. It’s worth noting that this isn’t a foreign spot for Volpe. Over his three-season career, he’s started in the ninth hole 42 times, though most of his plate appearances have come batting sixth or seventh. That balance highlights Boone’s move: keeping Volpe in the lineup while providing a less pressurized environment in which to regroup. Volpe’s offensive struggles have mounted. He enters Tuesday’s game batting around .214 with an OPS hovering under .700. He’s slumping well below the expectations set by his promising rookie and sophomore seasons. His defense hasn’t offered a reprieve either. Leading the American League with 12 errors, Volpe has been the focus of criticism for miscues ranging from misplayed grounders to errant throws. Boone doesn’t generally like to do this, but he has clearly recognized that Volpe needs to have some pressure taken off his shoulders right now. The screams for him to lose his job are growing louder, and clearly, he’s starting to feel them. While it remains to be seen how long this adjustment will last, placing Volpe at the bottom of the order is a balancing act. The Yankees' only backup shortstop is Oswald Peraza, who is an automatic out in the lineup, and so he cannot really bench Volpe. This way, Boone is protecting his confidence while keeping him engaged in the field. Boone continues to show faith in Volpe’s potential, but for now, the ninth hole provides a temporary buffer for a player still finding his footing.
The Boston Celtics' priorities were already apparent before making the trades they did. Because they wanted to get under the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics were willing to downgrade some of their players to get under it. That's why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons and Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang. It is a talent downgrade, but it helped Boston achieve their goals of getting under the second apron, even if those players aren't as good as Holiday or Porzingis. However, those trades only helped Boston get closer to being under the NBA's second tax apron, but it didn't get them under completely. Boston signed a few more players this offseason, including Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez. While these players are on inexpensive contracts, combined, they are enough to keep the Celtics above the NBA's second tax apron. That's why Boston isn't done making moves. Spotrac's Keith Smith revealed in an interview with a Boston Celtics executive that more trades will follow because they are still above the NBA's second tax apron. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there," the Celtics exec told Smith. As far as how the Celtics will do that is anyone's guess. They may trade Anfernee Simons for someone who makes less than him. They may trade Niang's contract to a team that can absorb it via trade exception. They may even trade Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to do it. Regardless, more moves are coming for the Celtics.
Jimmy Graham is calling it a career. The veteran tight end confirmed a report from John DeShazier of the Saints website that he’s indeed hanging up his cleats. After sitting out the 2022 campaign, Graham returned to New Orleans for the 2023 season. After hauling in four touchdowns that season, the veteran wouldn’t commit to the 2024 campaign and ultimately didn’t end up joining a team. Still, the tight end avoided an official retirement announcement until now. Graham was one of the most productive receiving tight ends during his early days with the Saints. Between the 2011 and 2013 seasons, the former third-round pick averaged 90 catches for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns per season. His numbers slowly declined as he approached his age-30 campaign, but he remained productive in stops with the Seahawks and Packers. Following a two-year stop in Chicago, Graham sat out the 2022 season before reuniting with the Saints for the 2023 campaign. Graham will finish his career having hauled in 719 receptions for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns. He also amassed over $82M in career earnings.
The Chicago Blackhawks are likely to trade one of their three healthy goalies before the regular season begins, and the Edmonton Oilers are emerging as frontrunners. NHL reporter Greg Boysen began the new week off with a flurry of fresh news across the NHL. In Chicago, excitement continues about the prospects of the team, and two old stars weigh their future. Rumors about a possible additional goaltender on the Blackhawks' roster being traded also began. Postmedia's Kurt Leavins wrote that the Edmonton Oilers were having a look at trading for Arturs Silovs, but the Canucks wouldn't make the deal within their division. Arturs Silovs ended up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Oilers are still looking for a goalie and Chicago has three to choose from That means Oilers GM Stan Bowman is still on the lookout for a goalie. Chicago might have three NHL goalies report to training camp healthy, and that might leave open trade possibilities. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland reported on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio that Anze Kopitar is not looking for a contract extension and will sign year to year. The 37-year-old captain, in the last year of his deal, has played his entire career with the Kings, scoring 440 goals for 1,278 points in 1,454 games. Twice the recipient of the Selke Trophy, Kopitar's future after this season is questionable. Another possible future Hall of Famer in the last year of his contract, Alex Ovechkin, told Russian media that he has he has had no discussions regarding an extension with the Capitals. no discussions regarding an extension with the Capitals. Blackhawks and Oilers supporters will be watching the situation between the goalies tightly, and we expect things to come into focus over the next few weeks.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!