MLB

New York Yankees chairperson Hal Steinbrenner helped seal the deal for Aaron Judge's return to the Big Apple.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, Steinbrenner reached out to the star slugger with negotiations entering the final stages and acquiesced when the American League Most Valuable Player requested a ninth year in the Yankees' offer.

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1600523132770701313

This is a narrative that plays to everyone's benefit.

The Yankees had a top-three Opening Day payroll in each of the last four seasons, but the 13-year gap since their last World Series title has brought continued scrutiny on ownership and the front office.

If Judge had signed with another team, it would've furthered the perception that the Steinbrenner family was less concerned with on-field results as long as the money keeps rolling in.

Now, Steinbrenner can point to Judge's deal, and his personal role in making it happen, as a sign of his ambition.

Judge, meanwhile, affirmed his commitment to the franchise. Not only did he re-sign, but he also left money on the table by doing so. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the San Diego Padres swooped in at the eleventh hour with a 10-year, $400 million offer.

Had money been Judge's primary motivator, he would be calling San Diego home right now.

Instead, it appears New York was his preferred destination all along and that it was only a matter of the Bronx Bombers' willingness to pony up.

Free-agent catcher Willson Contreras, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago Cubs, has reached a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal first reported a deal was close.

Contreras, who is entering his age-31 season, hit .243 (.815 OPS) and posted 22 home runs and 55 RBI in 2022.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in December 2020 that the Cubs were "extensively shopping" Contreras. A trade never happened, and he and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $9.6 million deal for the 2021 season to avoid arbitration.

It appeared Contreras could be leaving town last summer as the Cubs conducted a 2021 midseason fire sale that saw 2016 World Series heroes Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Báez all get moved as the team began a significant rebuilding process.

That didn't happen either, but the backstop is now moving on of his own accord.

Contreras will have massive shoes to fill, as he's replacing Yadier Molina behind the plate in St. Louis. The 10-time All-Star retired after the 2022 season.

That obviously left the Cardinals in need of a veteran catcher as they look to make the playoffs for the fifth straight year in 2023.

The San Francisco Giants might have missed out on Aaron Judge, but they still have plenty of chances to make this a consequential offseason.

Judge is returning to the New York Yankees after agreeing to a nine-year, $360 million contract, per multiple reports.

After failing to reel in the biggest fish on the market, the Giants seem poised to look toward one of the best shortstops available.

The next step for the Giants is to dive into the shortstop market, with Carlos Correa at the top of their list. They've pushed hard for another starting pitcher in recent days and still want one more outfielder.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 7, 2022

The dominos will start toppling now that Judge had made his decision. Giants will pivot to the shortstop market and cause action there. Red Sox have slow-played their hand on Bogaerts so far. Will ownership now step up? No doors have closed.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 7, 2022

Trea Turner is off the board after reportedly agreeing to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, but that still leaves Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Correa is not only the best of the three, but he would also carry the most symbolism for San Francisco.

The Giants targeted Bryce Harper before he landed in Philadelphia. They were linked last offseason with Marcus Semien, who signed with the Texas Rangers. If they're unable to seal the deal with both Judge and Correa, then it would further the perception the franchise simply isn't a marquee destination for free agents.

Losing out on Judge stings, but adding a two-time All-Star who hit 22 home runs with a .291/.366/.467 slash line in 2022 would be a great consolation prize.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent shortstops in baseball over the last few years. Since 2018, he has an .880 OPS and a 133 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. His 22.4 WAR over that span also ranks fourth at the position on FanGraphs.

San Francisco agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with Mitch Haniger, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Assuming the front office is still looking for another outfielder, it could look toward Andrew Benintendi or Brandon Nimmo.

Benintendi set career highs in batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.373) in 2022, explaining to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Zach Buchanan how he changed his approach at the plate.

"My approach right now is realizing I’m not going to hit 35 homers," he said. "It’s getting on base, be a tough out, see pitches, use the whole field. This year, it’s finally come together."

Nimmo would offer more power—16 homers in 2022 and a .441 career slugging percentage—but he has made 100-plus appearances just twice since becoming a full-time regular in 2017.

Benintendi might be the safer of the two options, albeit with a lower ceiling.

Looking to the pitching staff, the Giants need to replace their ace, with NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reporting they "do not expect" to re-sign Carlos Rodón.

Although Rodón remains unsigned, the starter market is quickly drying up. Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Bassitt are two of the best still available, and neither projects as a true No. 1 option. Corey Kluber, likewise, bounced back nicely in 2021 and 2022 but will be 37 in April.

Noah Syndergaard is a bit of a buyer beware signing, too. The 2016 All-Star had a 3.94 ERA with the Phillies and Los Angeles Angels but averaged just 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery.

Sean Manaea would give the Giants another lefty in the rotation, and you can reasonably assume his 4.96 ERA in 2022—a full run higher than his ERA in six years with the Oakland Athletics (3.86) was a bit of an outlier.

Whatever happens with the Giants from here, one thing is clear from their pursuit of Judge: Ownership gave the front office the green light to spend.

The New York Yankees have "definite interest" in free-agent pitcher Carlos Rodón after securing a deal for Aaron Judge, according to Jack Curry of YES.

Re-signing Judge had been a priority for the Yankees, and the two sides agreed to a $360 million deal over nine years Wednesday, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Yankees can turn their sights to improving the rotation, and they have confidence Rodón "has the mettle to succeed" in New York, per Curry.

Rodón spent last season with the San Francisco Giants after signing a two-year deal, finishing with a 14-8 record, 2.88 ERA and a league-high 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

He earned his second straight All-Star selection and finished sixth in voting for the National League Cy Young award. The left-hander finished fifth in voting for the American League Cy Young a year earlier with the Chicago White Sox.

The 29-year-old opted out of the final year of his contract last month, giving him a chance to earn a long-term deal. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Rodón wants a six-year contract at more than $30 million per year.

He could be a good fit for the Yankees, who are looking to add depth to the rotation alongside Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. Another front-line starter may be what they need to get over the top after failing to reach the World Series despite six straight seasons of playoff appearances.

The market has a steep drop-off at the position if the Yankees don't land Rodón.

Proven veterans Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander have found new homes, while productive starters Taijuan Walker, José Quintana and Zach Eflin have also come off the market. Chris Bassitt and Japanese pitcher Koudai Senga are among the remaining options if New York can't sign Rodón.

The New York Mets reportedly remain interested in signing Japanese pitcher Koudai Senga despite landing José Quintana in free agency.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Mets are still involved in the bidding for the prized right-hander.

Senga, 29, has been attempting to make the leap to the majors for years and is finally able to exercise his international free agent rights following the conclusion of the 2022 Japanese season. He's coming off a stellar campaign that saw him post a 11-6 and 1.94 ERA while striking out 156 strikeouts in 144 innings.

Agent Joel Wolfe said Senga has already received contract offers of five and six years from teams. Senga's main priority in picking his MLB fit will be teams that want to win now, which could make the Mets a favorite.

The Mets are almost certain to have baseball's largest payroll in 2023, with the Quintana contract taking them to around $298 million in Competitive Balance Tax payroll, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Signing Senga would take them well over the $300 million mark.

Mets owner Steve Cohen has consistently maintained he will spend whatever is necessary to bring the Mets their first World Series since 1986. Stars Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Francisco Lindor are set to make $120.7 million in salary by themselves next season, which is more than the total payroll of all but 11 other teams.

If Cohen is willing to spend this much on a winner, adding Senga is arguably a must to ensure the strongest rotation possible. Verlander and Scherzer will open the 2023 season at a combined 78 years of age, and both have had injury issues of late. There's no guarantee they'll be available all season, so adding another power pitcher like Senga will help fortify the roster in case of injury.

The New York Mets reportedly came to terms on a contract with free-agent starting pitcher José Quintana on Wednesday.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the deal is worth $26 million over two years.

Quintana, 33, is an 11-year MLB veteran who split last season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals after previous stints with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants.

In 32 starts split between the Pirates and Cards in 2022, Quintana enjoyed one of the best statistical seasons of his career.

The lefty posted a career-best 2.93 ERA while going 6-7 and compiling a 1.21 WHIP and 137 strikeouts over 165.2 innings. He was especially good in 12 starts for the Cardinals, going 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA.

Before last season, Quintana's best year unquestionably came in 2016 with the White Sox, when he went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA and was named an All-Star for the first and only time to date.

The Colombia-born hurler figures to slot in as the Mets' No. 4 starter behind the recently signed Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco. He will also serve as the replacement for Taijuan Walker.

Walker was the Mets' No. 4 starter last season, but he signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, per Passan.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported the Mets were also in on former New York Yankees starter Jameson Taillon, but he signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Additionally, the Mets lost longtime starter Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers in free agency, but they signed Verlander away from the Houston Astros on a two-year deal as his replacement.

Despite the moves to add to the pitching staff, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Mets remain interested in Japanese pitcher Koudai Senga.

By and large, the Mets have merely shuffled around some pieces thus far in free agency and are in line to primarily return the same roster from last season.

While things were trending in a hugely positive direction for the Mets for much of the 2022 campaign, they blew a big lead in the NL East to the Atlanta Braves and were upset by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.

With Verlander and Quintana replacing deGrom and Walker, the Mets are undoubtedly hopeful that those tweaks will help take them to the next level in 2023.

Free-agent relief pitcher Kenley Jansen has agreed to a two-year, $32 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Jansen burst onto the MLB scene in 2010 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 0.67 ERA in 25 games.

Two years later, he became Los Angeles' full-time closer, a role he held for 10 years.

The three-time All-Star and 2020 World Series champion amassed 350 saves and a 2.37 ERA during his time in Dodger Blue.

After the 2021 campaign, Jansen signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Braves. He went 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 41 saves in 2022.

Jansen has now moved on to his third team in three years. Boston is getting one of the game's most accomplished closers as he enters his 14th MLB campaign.

It could help solidify the bullpen after the Red Sox used a closer by committee last season with no one who reached double-digit saves. John Schreiber, Tanner Houck and Matt Barnes were among those who filled the role as the squad finished in last place in the AL East at 78-84.

Aaron Judge will remain with the New York Yankees in a signing that could affect all of MLB.

After a year's worth of back and forth and a lot of interest from the rest of baseball, the outfielder agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees on Wednesday, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The reward comes after a dominant 2022 season in which Judge led MLB with 62 home runs and 131 RBI on the way to his first MVP award.

The contract is a significant one as we head into the 2023 season. Here are three instant reactions after the latest deal.

---

Betting On Yourself Can Pay

It's rare to hear the full details of contract offers that aren't signed, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed in April that Judge turned down an eight-year, $230.5 million deal before Opening Day.

Judge admitted in November that he initially thought this might have been a mistake.

"It was tough in the beginning, definitely in April when I think it took me two weeks to get my first home run," Judge said on MLB Network (h/t Dan Martin of the New York Post). "There's a little doubt that creeps into your mind about it and you’re sitting in the outfield kicking yourself, like, 'Man, maybe I should have taken that deal.'"

It turns out Judge was right to trust his first instincts.

The 30-year-old came through with one of the best hitter seasons in a decade. Beyond his American League record for home runs, he also set career highs with a .311 batting average, .425 on-base percentage and 211 OPS+.

As a result, he now has the third-largest contract in MLB history. At $40 million per year, his annual contract ranks third in baseball behind New York Mets pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Counting his $19 million earned in 2022, Judge added $148.5 million in contract value by not taking the offer last year and betting on himself.

Other players may replicate the move in the future, waiting until free agency to maximize their value rather than taking team-friendly contracts earlier in the process.

---

Pressure Off Brian Cashman...for Now

The Yankees re-signed Cashman to a four-year deal earlier this week, but fans certainly wouldn't have been happy if that preceded Judge leaving in free agency.

New York was unable to lock up Judge before his monster 2022 season, and there were rumors about the San Francisco Giants becoming the leader to sign the outfielder. The Yankees would have lost not only a major piece of their lineup for next season but also a massively popular player in the biggest market in the country.

Any struggles in 2023 would have put Cashman squarely on the hot seat.

Re-signing Judge gives the fans what they want and keeps the Yankees as a top contender after they went 99-63 last season. With other big hitters like Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo still in the lineup, New York should still have one of the top offenses in baseball and be the team to beat in the AL East.

The Yankees still have work to do, however, especially considering they have failed to get past the Houston Astros in the AL. They have reached the playoffs in each of the last eight years but have yet to reach the World Series in this span.

Cashman must continue to add depth to the lineup and rotation to help put New York over the top.

If the team falls short in the playoffs again next year, the GM will hear more calls for his job.

---

Steep Drop-Off in Impact Free Agents

The Giants were among the top teams in the Judge sweepstakes, while the Boston Red Sox were also in touch with the player, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. And other big-market teams like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are always seemingly involved in the potential signings of top free agents.

But there are few options for teams seeking an impact player in free agency, especially in the outfield.

Judge has had a 16.9 fWAR over the last two seasons combined, but only one other free-agent outfielder—Brandon Nimmo—has had more than 5.0 fWAR in this span, per MLB.com.

Nimmo is a solid all-around player who could help a contender, but he had just 16 home runs last season after tallying eight in each of the previous three years. The 29-year-old is nowhere near the middle-of-the-order difference-maker Judge has been.

Those in need of offensive help could target one of the shortstops among Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts or Dansby Swanson, but arguably the top option at the position is already off the board after Trea Turner agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The remaining players could get pricey with limited alternatives on the open market.

Any team seeking a big-name addition this offseason better move quickly because the well will dry up in a hurry.

It appears that the Pittsburgh Pirates may move outfielder Bryan Reynolds this offseason. The 28-year-old has requested a trade, though Pittsburgh has publicly pushed back against the idea of trading him.

"While it is disappointing, this will have zero impact on our decision-making this offseason or in the future," the Pirates said in a statement, per Jay Cohen of the Associated Press.

Pittsburgh's stance could quickly change, however. Reynolds doesn't have a long-term deal in place, and he is drawing interest in the trade market.

The New York Yankees were interested, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

First tidbit from the lobby, per an industry source, is that the Yankees are “very much” in on Bryan Reynolds. “They’re on it.” … Not exactly breaking news that there’s significant interest in the Pirates outfielder.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 5, 2022

Absolutely no one should be surprised by New York's reported interest. However, it has probably gone out the window over the last 24 hours.

New York likely viewed Reynolds as a Plan B in the outfield in case it couldn't re-sign reigning home-run king Aaron Judge. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Francisco Giants had a huge offer, "believed to be [in the] $360M neighborhood," on the table for Judge.

San Francisco's offer was likely reason enough for New York to consider alternatives.

However, on Wednesday morning, news broke that Judge had agreed to a new deal with the Yankees. The news was first reported by MLB Network's Jon Morosi and confirmed by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Source confirms: Aaron Judge in agreement with Yankees, nine years, $360M. First: @JonMorosi.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2022

With New York almost certainly out of the mix, the Toronto Blue Jays become the most logical landing spot for Reynolds in a trade. Toronto is looking to build off of last year's 92-win campaign, and Reynolds is exactly the sort of up-and-coming star it could build around long-term.

According to Morosi, the Blue Jays are interested in making a deal:

The #BlueJays are a team to watch in the Bryan Reynolds market. They have interest in him and want to add an athletic switch hitter to their outfield. Based on strong industry interest, Jays would likely need to include Tiedemann or Martínez to have high offer. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 5, 2022

As Morosi noted, a strong offer from Toronto may have to include the likes of pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann and infielder Orelvis Martinez. Parting with two young prospects would be difficult, but neither Tiedemann nor Martínez is well-positioned to make an impact this season.

Reynolds could make an immediate impact. He's a strong outfielder and solid at the plate. An All-Star in 2021, he finished this past season with a .262 batting average, 27 home runs and 62 RBI.

According to Morosi, the Blue Jays are looking for a hitter who can switch at the plate. Reynolds can do exactly that.

The other factor to consider is Reynolds' contract. He's due to earn just $6.75 million this season on an arbitration extension, according to Spotrac. That's low enough that Toronto could hypothetically add Reynolds and still chase one of the big-name free agents remaining on the market—perhaps a pitcher.

Noted sports agent Scott Boras recently spoke with Hazel Mae and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet to discuss Toronto's offseason priorities.

"I think their priority right now is to try to facilitate an advance on the offence,” Boras said. “As to what they"re going to do on pitching, I think they want to achieve (offensive upgrades) first."

Adding Reynolds could help upgrade the offense while leaving enough financial flexibility to approach the pitching market—a free-agent pool that still includes Carlos Rodón, Zack Greinke and Corey Kluber.

The big unknown is whether Pittsburgh is willing to accept a fair offer for Reynolds. It might hold out for an unreasonable trade package, or it could yet smooth things over and lock him up long-term. If the Pirates are willing to make a fair trade, though, adding Reynolds absolutely makes sense for the Blue Jays.

The New York Yankees saw their 2023 payroll balloon to over $200 million on Wednesday with the reported re-signing of superstar outfielder Aaron Judge.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Judge and the Yankees came to terms on a nine-year, $360 million contract, meaning Judge will make an average of $40 million per season over the life of the deal.

Prior to the reported Judge signing, Spotrac listed the Yankees' 2023 payroll at $162,085,714. The Judge signing will bring it up to $202,085,714.

News of Judge returning to the Bronx Bombers came one day after Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Judge had signed with the San Francisco Giants, only to retract it.

The 30-year-old Judge is coming off one of the most prolific seasons in MLB history, as he set a new American League single-season record with 62 home runs, surpassing the previous record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961.

In addition to leading MLB in home runs, he led the AL in RBI (131) and runs scored (133). He also stole a career-high 16 bases and hit a career-best .311, which was second in the AL, leaving him just short of the Triple Crown.

Judge's new contract is tied for the second-biggest in MLB history in terms of total dollars with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, behind only the 12-year, $365 million deal Mookie Betts signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His $40 million average annual salary is also the highest in MLB history among position players.

While it is a hefty price to pay and a long commitment to make to a player already in his 30s, there is no denying that Judge was the centerpiece of the Yankees offense last season and the primary reason why they went 99-63, won the AL East and reached the American League Championship Series.

Judge shoots to the top of the list in terms of the Yankees' highest-paid players annually, ahead of pitcher Gerrit Cole ($36 million) and slugger Giancarlo Stanton ($32 million).

New York also re-signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a two-year, $40 million contract this offseason.

To this point, the Yanks are largely set to return the same roster they had last season, with the exception of some potential call-ups from their talented prospect pool.

There are still plenty of quality players available in free agency, however, meaning the Judge signing may just be the start of what they plan to do on the open market.