Yankees' Hal Steinbrenner staying tight-lipped about Aaron Judge contract

So naturally, New York is under big-time pressure to lock the slugger in before he becomes a free agent at the conclusion of the 2022 season. But when Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner held a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, he offered no real insight into what talks with Judge look like at the current moment. 

"There is no doubt we are hopeful [we'll get a deal done], but there is a lot of discussion to be had," Steinbrenner said. "But we are not going to do anything until the season is over."

Steinbrenner's comments suggest talks with Judge's people are at a standstill — which wouldn't be too surprising, since most players don't want to talk about contracts while they're trying to focus on the season at hand. That being said, it's hard not to wonder if Team Judge has other plans in mind.

Judge reportedly turned down the Yankees' first offer because he wants something closer to a 10-year deal. The team and Judge then avoided arbitration with a $19 million deal for 2022. 

Judge currently leads the league with 29 home runs on the season.