Get that checkbook ready, Brian Cashman.
On the debut episode of The Post’s new podcast, “The Show,” Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman discussed the Yankees’ contract negotiations with Aaron Judge and how they could be impacted by the slugger’s scorching start to the season.
Early in the show, The Post columnists talked about how the Yankees are benefitting from the deadened baseball as it amplifies the power of the team’s sluggers, particularly Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Judge turned down the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer before the season started. That feels like the smart play now as he boasts a .315 average with 14 home runs and 30 RBIs thus far this season.
Heyman and Sherman later discussed Judge’s contract talks. Here is a snippet of the conversation:
Heyman: Judge has really hit the jackpot here. He was asking for a Mike Trout deal.
Sherman: And he’s performing like Mike Trout, even playing center field when they need him, staying healthy, taking on a bigger leadership role without Brett Gardner around… If this is going to be the baseball going forward then his value goes up even more as a pure home run hitter. What is rare is valuable.
Heyman: Judge may end up being the highest-paid position player… The Yankees are willing to go higher. They were willing to go higher when they cut off negotiations. Time kind of ran out because they set Opening Day as the deadline… I think they would have gone to $31 million-$32 million.
Sherman: They are going to have to go higher than that now.
Aaron Judge during the Yankees’ win over the Orioles on May 17, 2022. Getty Images“The Show” will run every Tuesday throughout the baseball season.
