Yankees' Brian Cashman opens up on failed Aaron Judge negotiations: 'We entered with a legit effort'

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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman elaborated more on the quest to sign Aaron Judge to a long-term contract and the effort that was made to get a deal done.

The two sides had set an opening day deadline to get a deal done, but negotiations never yielded the deal either side was hoping for. Cashman appeared on WFAN Sports Radio on Monday and talked more about what happened with the potential deal falling through.

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Brian Cashman, general manager and senior vice president of the New York Yankees, announces that the team failed to secure a multi-year deal with right fielder Aaron Judge (99) before their opening day baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 8, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

"I don’t presume anything, because it takes a lot when you’re putting together a trade or coming to contract terms, but we went in with the legitimate intent of coming out (with a long-term deal)," Cashman said. "If you don’t have the outcome you want on the timeline you have, which for us was opening day, you still get another bite of the apple. We entered with a legit effort, and now we live to fight another day.

"I would not want to share anything about their side or interest or hopes, other than Judge sharing his intent of wanting to be here for life, but I did share with Aaron’s reps that if we didn’t come to an agreement, we’d be sharing our side of the fence, and they were free to do the same. I can’t speak on his feelings either way, but I was transparent publicly and privately in advance of that. Ultimately, the one difficult side of our sport is when the business side is so public. It’s a whole different game, and while there’s a sexy side to it, it’s a game I wish we didn’t have to deal with."

Judge said Friday after the Yankees’ win over the Boston Red Sox that it "stinks" a deal wasn’t able to get done.

AARON JUDGE, YANKEES FAIL TO COME TO AGREEMENT ON LONG-TERM EXTENSION

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts as he runs the bases on a two-run home run hit by Giancarlo Stanton off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 9, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

"I’m just disappointed because I think I’ve been vocal about I want to be a Yankee for life. I want to bring a championship back to New York. I want to do it for the fans here. They’re family. This is home for me, and not getting that done right now, it stinks," he said.

"At the end of the year, I’m a free agent. I can talk to 30 teams, and the Yankees will be one of those 30 teams. So, it’s always nice to try to wrap something up sooner, the better. But like I said, we weren’t able to get it done, and now it’s on the baseball."

Cashman told reporters Friday the team offered the Yankees slugger an eight-year contract worth between $230.5 million and $234.5 million, the difference to have been determined in arbitration for this year’s salary.

Judge’s reps were seeking a nine-year deal and more than Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout makes annually. The sought-after deal would reportedly have been somewhere around $319.6 million in total.

Trout makes about $35.5 million annually. He signed a 12-year, $426.5 million deal in 2019.

Judge could become a free agent in November.

Judge will turn 30 later this month. He’s been one of the top homegrown Yankees stars in recent memory. He’s a three-time All-Star and the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year.

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts to fans during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Monday, April 11, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

He has hit 158 home runs since he broke into the league in 2016.

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According to Forbes, the Yankees are valued at $6 billion. The Yankees’ opening day payroll is at $243.3 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.