Joey Gallo can’t hit in New York — regardless of the borough.
With his time as a Yankee almost certainly coming to an end before next Tuesday’s trade deadline, Gallo was sent up to pinch hit for Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a 6-3 loss to the Mets at Citi Field to see if he could finally come through before he’s eventually dealt.
But with a runner on first and two outs in the eighth, with the Yankees down by a pair, Gallo’s at-bat against Edwin Diaz was as predictable as they come, as Gallo struck out to end the inning.
Aaron Boone defended the move to go with the strikeout machine over Kiner-Falefa, who had two hits earlier in the game to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by a Yankee this season.
“It’s not [just] about getting a hit in that situation,” Boone said of why he went with Gallo over the slap-hitting Kiner-Falefa. “The other component is forcing their hand to at least get their closer in there for a four-out situation.”
Aaron BooneCorey Sipkin
Mets manager Buck Showalter said he would have kept right-hander Adam Ottavino in the game to face Kiner-Falefa, and Ottavino has been excellent against right-handers. Boone wanted the lefty-swinging Gallo versus Diaz, a righty.
“It’s a situation where you need two runs and Joey is one of the best power hitters the last couple years, and I got zero [home runs on the season],’’ Kiner-Falefa said. “There’s nothing I can say. You give him an opportunity right there. If I get a single, we’re still down two runs. I’m OK with it.”
Making the move more questionable was the fact Kiner-Falefa has hit well lately, and Gallo has been lost since arriving in The Bronx nearly a year ago. But he had homered in two of his previous four games with a plate appearance.
Boone said he also liked the idea of getting Diaz in during the eighth inning to force a four-out save.
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Diaz had a bit of a hiccup in the ninth, giving up an infield hit to Jose Trevino and making a fielding error on an Aaron Judge grounder, but he whiffed Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres to end the game.
At Citi Field, Gallo was no match for the dominant Diaz and struck out for the 103rd time of the season.
Gallo is almost certain to be moved by the trade deadline, as his time as a Yankee has been a failure since the Yankees sent four minor leaguers to Texas last July in exchange for Gallo and left-hander Joely Rodriguez.
The Aaron Judge Show arrived in Queens on Tuesday night and delivered again — even if the Yankees didn’t in their 6-3 loss to the Mets.
Judge entered with four homers in his previous four games and immediately improved on that number by drilling a solo shot to right that went an estimated 423 feet at 112 mph.
It was his MLB-leading 38th homer of the season as Judge’s onslaught of opposing pitching, regardless of opponent or ballpark, continued.
Aaron Judge belts a solo homer in the first inning of the Yankees’ 6-3 loss to the Mets. Jason Szenes
He also walked on four pitches with two outs in the top of the fourth, as the Mets and Taijuan Walker clearly pitched around Judge to load the bases for Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo nearly made them pay, when he swung at a 3-0 pitch and hit it to the warning track in dead center, but Brandon Nimmo caught it to end the inning and keep the Yankees down by a pair of runs.
Judge reached base a third time with a single to left off ex-Yankee Adam Ottavino with one out in the seventh, moved to second when Rizzo was hit by a pitch and then stole third — although Rizzo was thrown out at second on the double-steal attempt — but was stranded there when Gleyber Torres popped out.
He’s now 16-for-28 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in his last seven games. Judge also has multiple hits in six of his last eight games and has driven in half of the team’s runs (12 of 24) in its last five games — which is good for Judge and not as good for the Yankees, who have lost three of those games.
Aaron Boone is leading the major leagues in ejections and Aaron Judge is leading MLB in would-be balls that are called strikes, two things that are very much related for the 2022 Yankees.
Boone lost his temper before the Yankees lost to the Red Sox, 5-4, in 11 innings in The Bronx on Friday night, after a ninth-inning pitch to Matt Carpenter appeared to be low, but was called a strike. The ensuing blowup by the Yankees manager, who was ejected for a fifth time this season, was about more than just one pitch.
At least a season’s worth of frustration was baked into Boone charging out to scream at home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn, who appeared to mostly absorb the verbal jabs without reaction. Boone followed him around as third-base umpire Jim Reynolds continually attempted to intercede.
After a minute, Boone gave up the fight and flung his gum in disgust before exiting the field and the dugout. Carpenter ended up being hit by a pitch during the at-bat.
Aaron Boone tosses his gum after being ejected in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Red Sox. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
The Yankees’ lineup possesses plenty of tall hitters, Carpenter included, whose strike zones begin higher up than shorter hitters. Entering Friday, according to Baseball Savant, no player in baseball had faced more pitches that were deemed balls by the MLB Gameday strike zone, but were called strikes, than Judge.
According to the approximated zone, 57 pitches to Judge that should have been called balls have been called strikes. Anthony Rizzo (40) was victimized the 16th most and Giancarlo Stanton (39) the 21st most.
Boone said a culmination of the night’s calls led to his outburst. Judge had been punched out an inning prior on a pitch that appeared to be under the strike zone.
Aaron Boone argues a called strike to Matt Carpenter. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
“Judge. Rizzo. Carpenter. The balls are low,” said Boone, who was ejected six times last year, which was tied for the most in the AL.
Boone had plenty to say to Reyburn, but he is not sure what he should say to Judge. He does not want his slugger chasing pitches that are balls.
“What can we tell him? I get asked it a lot,” Boone said. “[The umpires are] doing the best they can. I don’t know.”
Aaron Boone is ejected in the ninth inning. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
Judge, who should have more complaints than any player, has never been thrown out of a big league game. He said he can never fully blame a failed at-bat on a missed call because there are usually other pitches he could have done damage on.
And he realizes that if he loses his composure, he might lose out on further at-bats.
“You gotta be mentally tough enough to move past that and stick to your approach,” said Judge, who went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts Friday. “That’s why I try not to really blow up on an umpire. I say my words, say my piece, but I still got a job to do. I still have a couple at-bats the rest of the night.”
Judge said “it’s tough, but it’s part of the game” — and he wants it to remain part of the game.
Automated umpires are being tested in the minor leagues and could make their way to the majors in the next few seasons.
“If there’s an issue with balls and strikes, just get guys that do a better job of calling balls and strikes,” Judge said. “I think the umpires do a great job as it is, and that’s part of the game — the human element.”
Aaron Boone has a contrarian take on Joey Gallo: That he’s, in fact, just fine.
“I would suggest he’s off to, at-bat-wise, a good start,” the Yankees manager said of Gallo, who had one hit in the first three games of the season and struck out to end Sunday night’s 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in The Bronx. “Controlling the zone, getting on base, he smoked a couple balls. Tonight I thought had some really good at-bats where he just missed the ball.”
Gallo has never hit for average, but saw those struggles exacerbate upon joining the Yankees last season. After general manager Brian Cashman traded for the slugger at the deadline, Gallo slashed .160/.303/.404, making up in part for his poor average with 13 home runs in a Yankees uniform.
His numbers so far this year are worse.
Gallo has just one hit in his first 10 at-bats, with three walks. Though he did put the ball in play three times on Sunday, flying out in each of them, a batting average of .100 is not what the Yankees would prefer to see from the fifth hitter in their lineup.
Joey Gallo reacts during the Yankees’ loss to the Red Sox. Robert Sabo
At the end of the game, Gallo also capped a terrible ninth inning, striking out on four pitches from Jake Diekman, who punched out Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton before facing Gallo.
“He’s getting to pitches that he wasn’t last year,” Boone said. “Hit a ball the other way, hard to left. Smoked a ball to right. Another walk. Look at what he’s doing. And I think we’re seeing a lot of good at-bats and a guy that, for me, has a lot more [plate] coverage right now.”
Boone is known for squeezing the positive out of everything. However, this feels a bit of a stretch.
Even if Gallo is hitting the ball hard, it’s almost impossible to imagine that the Yankees are OK with his output right now.
Asked to elaborate on where he sees Gallo’s improvement, Boone pointed to his fifth-inning fly out on Sunday.
Aaron BooneGetty Images
“That pitch up that he probably wouldn’t have got to last year, he just missed to center field,” Boone said. “I thought he did a good job against the lefty [Matt Strahm] hitting the ball hard to left, the other way.
“Obviously smoked a ball to right for the out. I just feel like he’s putting good swings and good at-bats together right now.”
It’s only three games into the schedule. But surely, the Yankees want Gallo’s good at-bats to start ending in hits sooner rather than later.
Aaron Judge is announced in a different way at home by Paul Olden and he is cheered louder and longer than any of his Yankees teammates.
Judge now lockers in the space of prestige long occupied by Brett Gardner. Before a pitch of the 2022 season had been thrown, manager Aaron Boone stated what has become obvious: “He’s probably the biggest leader in that room.”
And it’s not because of his 6-foot-7 frame. Judge’s vaccine status might be in question, but his status in the Yankee Stadium home clubhouse is not.
He is the best player on the team. The most important player on the roster. The most marketable player for the most historic franchise. He is a symbol for withstanding the Bronx cauldron and thriving — and not just in the batter’s box.
He is the most obvious heir to Derek Jeter. The homegrown face of the team — and maybe the sport. He’s assiduously vanilla in public comment, admired in his clubhouse and beloved from the Judge’s Chambers to the high-priced moat behind home plate.
Oh yeah, he’s also one of the 10 best active baseball players in the world.
The Yankees felt they were recognizing all of this in their negotiations over a contract extension for Judge. Above and beyond, in their view, was accepting his $21 million arbitration request for 2022 and then a tacking on seven years at $213.5 million, which would have made Judge the second-highest-paid outfielder in history, per year, behind just Mike Trout.
Aaron JudgeRobert Sabo
But the Judge camp, after considering all the tangibles and intangibles, the baseball and the marketing, wondered why he couldn’t be paid through the same age (38) that Trout will be by the Angels, and for a similar amount.
These were two rational actors. The Yankees all but ignored the five-year, $124 extension beginning in 2024 that the Guardians agreed to with Jose Ramirez, a player similar to Judge in performance and age. That was the Yankees appreciating the difference between Cleveland and New York and the difference in local and national impact between Ramirez and Judge.
But their stop sign for average value on the seven-year offer was $30.5 million, north of Mookie Betts’ deal with the Dodgers and enough to make Judge the second-highest-paid among outfielders, but well south of Trout’s $35.54 million average. After all, Judge was not negotiating with the leverage of being a free agent. As opposed to the deals the Dodgers and Angeles made with Betts and Trout, the Yankees would be getting no seasons in Judge’s twenties (he will turn 30 on April 26). There are concerns about Judge staying healthy, concern about how someone his size will age. So their offer would have taken him to 37.
A lot of folks surely will not see turning down generational wealth as rational. Judge is risking a guaranteed $213.5 million to make how much more while gambling he will stay healthy and productive in 2022.
But Judge is like Jeter or Mariano Rivera. He is built optimistically. Like them, he does not entertain negative thoughts. He is not imagining breaking down. Judge is envisioning being the MVP and leading the Yankees to a title and being able to ask for more come the offseason than he was offered now.
Aaron Judge has emerged as the Yankees’ leader. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
And remember, there is next offseason. Neither team nor player was facing the threat of this marriage ending now. Both sides insisted they still want a long-term union. Judge played his part by also saying when he next negotiates he will be able to talk to all 30 teams. We can certainly eliminate a bunch today — hello Cincinnati, Cleveland and Kansas City. But the leverage will come if the Giants, or especially the Mets or Red Sox, get involved.
After the 1998 season, the Yankees were lowballing Bernie Williams until they believed he was on the doorstep of leaving for the Red Sox. That moved George Steinbrenner to inflate his bid by about 50 percent to retain the free-agent center fielder.
Don’t forget also that by the end of this season, Judge will have earned around $40 million. Short of catastrophic injury, what is the least he will be offered after the season? It won’t be less than Ramirez got, for example.
Aaron JudgeCharles Wenzelberg/New York Post
There is risk. Of course, there is. But Judge has built-in financial protection plus a belief that his value is such to the Yankees on and off the field, hitting second and at the box office, playing right and having a section nearby dedicated to him, that he should be paid for longer and for a larger amount than the Yankees were willing to offer now. His self-confidence is baked into why he is so good, why he can handle all that comes with being a Yankee.
And as he begins the journey toward trying to prove he is worth what he asked for, and more, his biggest fan and supporter in that effort will be those who want a championship in 2022 as much as he does.
Yep, Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees organization.
Aaron Judge is a real mystery man, but there are a few things we do know about him. He’s a terrific ballplayer, with the ability to thrive in his star turn, and he’s the possessor of an even temperament and an engaging smile.
It’s a bit shocking we really haven’t much of a clue about him even after a half-decade in the country’s alleged media capital, beyond that glorious stat line that shows a minimum OPS-plus of 143 in each of his five full seasons and the city-held belief he should have won the MVP in that memorable year of 2017.
But in failed contract extension talks with the Yankees that, true to his nature, were kept quiet up until Friday morning, when they fell apart, we finally did learn a couple of relevant things about Judge.
One, he’s a gambler. Not as in the fifty-bucks-a-hand blackjack player. But as in the legendary, larger-than-life whale, the kind who gets his own penthouse at Caesar’s Palace sense.
Two, he has enormous confidence in his own abilities — not just to play the game, but also to stay healthy and on the field.
Aaron Judge hits a single for the Yankees on Opening Day.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed the Yankees’ offer to Judge was for an extension at $30.5 million a year over seven years on top of the $19M or so they will pay him this year, putting the bid at $233M plus over eight years. I say “plus” because they offered some minor adjustments, including acceding to his $21M wish for this year to bring it to $235M.
Cashman didn’t say so, but word is the Yankees also told the Judge camp of their willingness to consider an opt-out or two, which often greatly enhances a contract’s value.
Regardless, it turns out he and the Yankees weren’t in the same ballpark.
Judge, according to multiple sources, countered the Yankees’ offer at nine or 10 years at $36M a year for up to $360M. (Someone close to Judge denied that.)
Mike Trout’s record extension was for 10 years at $36M for $360M.
Confidence is a wonderful thing, and it has helped get Judge to where he is, which is one of the best five or six players in the game, when healthy. But let’s face it, he isn’t Trout. While it might be sacrilege to say it in New York, Trout is basically Mickey Mantle.
Aaron Judge (right) celebrates Anthony Rizzo’s home run.Robert Sabo
Judge truly is a great player, and he surely gets extra points for the kind of star quality that brings out his own chambers. But he hasn’t won three MVPs, as Trout has. He isn’t the consensus best player in the game, as Trout is. And let’s face it, he hasn’t stayed nearly as healthy as Trout has.
After a survey of agents, the Yankees’ offer was deemed solid. The reaction wasn’t unanimous, but was generally positive. One agent saw it as a little light in the AAV, but almost all thought it was certainly worth talking about.
We don’t know of course what Judge’s agent, Page Odle, thinks, as he is the Greta Garbo of agents. But one competing agent did give him a tip of the cap for taking this gigantic risk of an $11M commission when Odle’s stable consists of Secretariat and mostly a string of maiden claimers.
While Judge is great, and may be getting even better — his whiff rate was down last year and his hard-hit rate was up — his history includes missed games. He was second and fourth in the MVP voting in two of his five full seasons, but in the other three, he played 63 percent of the Yankees’ games.
“That’s a very fair offer considering the durability factor,” one prominent agent said.
“Lot of downside risk [to rejecting the offer],” said another agent.
Of course, one person’s fair offer is another’s non-starter. And let’s face it, Judge didn’t think the Yankees came especially close.
The word is, Judge asked for almost exactly $100 million more than the Yankees offered. That’s quite a gap.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees failed to extend his contract before Opening Day.Newsday via Getty Images
Cashman, upon revealing the Yankees offer, admitted “we are all disappointed” in the failure to sign Judge. Beyond a disappointment, if they fail to bridge their enormous gap after the year, it’ll be quite a loss. Judge is not only their best position player, but he is a star.
The Yankees already have been outflanked by the perennial little brothers in Queens in terms of star power, and Judge sells more T-shirts and jerseys than many Yankees combined. He is bigger than life, and likely their most popular player since the iconic Derek Jeter, who battled with the Yankees over dollars, but ultimately understood he was better off as a lifetime Yankee.
Jeter was as quiet and close-to-the-vest as Judge is, but we knew more about Jetes, as he engendered considerable tabloid interest. He also had the good sense to stick around for 20 years, as some part of his star was tied up in pinstripes.
Brian Cashman said the Yankees will take the year to try to bridge the gap between them and Judge.Getty Images
The hope is there’s still some chance for Judge to at least make it into his second decade in The Bronx. If not, the Judge’s Chambers may have to become a traveling band. Gone from the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium, it just wouldn’t be the same. It’s their loss. And ours.
Aaron Judge’s deadline for a contract extension has come and gone without a deal.
The Yankees outfielder will take the field Friday afternoon against the Red Sox with the possibility of it being his final Opening Day in pinstripes, after the sides could not come to an agreement on a megadeal.
Brian Cashman said the Yankees offered Judge, the face of the franchise, a deal that was worth an average annual value of $30.5 million over the next seven years for a total of $213.5. That is in addition to either $17 or $21 million this year, his final one of arbitration.
Aaron JudgeGetty Images
“Our intent is to have Aaron Judge stay a New York Yankee moving forward,” Cashman said.
In spring training, Judge had set Opening Day as his deadline for talks that were still ongoing Friday morning. The Yankees will still have a chance to negotiate exclusively with Judge after the season but at that point he will be weeks away from free agency.
“Not now, but hopefully later,” Cashman said when asked for his message to the fanbase.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees are still talking about a mega-extension — but still apart at this hour — into Friday’s deadline set by Judge to have a deal.
The Yankees are believed to be offering a record for them for positional players by annual salary, above former star Alex Rodriguez’s $27.5M annual salary on his $275M, 10-year deal. It isn’t clear how far above the Yankees are.
The sides do not have a deal as of early this morning but are still in communication and there remains hope a deal can be struck.
The Yankees are obviously highly motivated to get something done with Judge by the season opener, which is at 1 p.m. Judge set the deadline at the beginning of spring training, suggesting he would become a free agent if the sides couldn’t agree to a contract extension by then.
The Yankees’ offer would certainly be among the top-three highest annual salaries for an outfielder, above Yoenis Cespedes’ $27.5 million AAV, which is currently third highest behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts. While there’s no chance the Yankees would reach Trout’s $36 million-a-year level, it isn’t known whether they are willing to beat Betts’ $30.4 million average salary (Betts’ deferrals actually make his salary worth $28M a year).
Aaron Judge and the Yankees are still in talks for a long-term extension.USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees offer is believed to be long for Judge but at 29, it may have some limits that Trout and Betts didn’t have for length.
The Yankees’ record deal is the $324M deal given to ace pitcher Gerrit Cole.
CC Sabathia still hopes former teammate Aaron Judge can work out a long-term contract extension with the Yankees.
“I would love for him to be here as a Yankee his whole career, but obviously that’s out of my tax bracket and my pay grade,” Sabathia said Thursday at MLB headquarters to announce his new role as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. “We just hope that they can get something done and [Judge] can remain a Yankee.”
Judge had set a deadline of Opening Day for a new deal, but the Yankees’ home opener against the Red Sox was postponed Thursday due to rain.
In his new league role, Sabathia will help MLB address areas such as player relations, diversity and inclusion and youth participation. The retired ace also has served as a front-office adviser to Yankees GM Brian Cashman since 2019.
Aaron Judge, CC SabathiaUSA TODAY Sports (2)
“Having a chance to still have my Yankee job and do this and really be around the game, it’s something that I didn’t know I wanted when I was still playing, but now that I’m done … it means a lot to me, for sure,” Sabathia said. “I’ve been running my mouth the whole time about player relations. And I’ve been wanting our league to run like the NBA in how close [commissioner] Adam Silver is with the players and how big the players’ opinion matters in the game.
“I’ve been the biggest advocate for this type of situation, so it was either put up or shut up.”
Sabathia added that he “absolutely” plans to continue his popular “R2C2” podcast with Ryan Ruocco.
He also has been an outspoken critic of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal since their defeat of the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS. Former teammate Carlos Beltran acknowledged ahead of his debut last week as a YES Network analyst that the Astros “crossed the line.”
“I’ve read the comments, but I haven’t had a chance to see it or even talk to Los yet,” Sabathia said. “I would just love to see him get back in the game. Los is such a smart dude. I thought he’d be a great manager for the Mets; unfortunate how it went down and shook out. He was a player, and nobody else, no other players, really got in trouble.
“To see him lose his job was tough, but I just want to see him get back in the game.”
Opening Day means a fresh start for teams around the majors.
For Aaron Judge and the Yankees, it means the days of them talking about a long-term extension before the season are coming to an end.
As of Thursday evening, the two sides were still talking, but no deal had been struck. Judge said repeatedly throughout spring training that he wouldn’t continue negotiations into the regular season because he didn’t want to deal with the distraction, maintaining that discussions would end until after the season. There would just be an agreement on a one-year deal in arbitration, with Judge asking for $21 million and the Yankees countering with $17 million.
At that point, they would have to go through an arbitration hearing during the regular season, which could cause some friction.
The Yankees would still have exclusive rights to talk to Judge after the season, but he’d be that much closer to hitting the open market.
Aaron Judge has a self-imposed Opening Day deadline to find an agreement with the Yankees. USA TODAY Sports
Before the Yankees left Tampa on Tuesday, Judge declined to provide an update on whether he expected a deal to get done in time: “We’ll get there when we get there.”
It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that Judge remains with the Yankees beyond this season, which he acknowledged on Tuesday, saying it had occurred to him that this could be his final Opening Day as a Yankee.
And Anthony Rizzo reminded everyone of what seemed to be a slam dunk a year ago — Freddie Freeman staying with the Braves — turned out not to be the case.
“When it comes to business, it’s no secret Freddie Freeman isn’t on the Braves anymore,’’ Rizzo said at Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees were preparing to face the Red Sox for Friday’s season opener in The Bronx. “There’s no loyalty in this game. When you take your heart out of it, that’s the tough part.”
Aaron Judge swings during a Yankees spring training game. AP
Rizzo said he’s talked to Judge about the process, and the first baseman noted Judge’s importance to the Yankees — on and off the field.
“What his value and what his worth is extremely high on this team,’’ Rizzo said. “He’s a legitimate MVP candidate every single year and he knows that. He’s really good at this game and really good at how he handles everything. What he brings to this organization, in my time here, is something I’ve not seen before.”
Judge’s contractual status won’t affect him on the field, according to Aaron Boone.
“I don’t think it impacts him at all,’’ the manager said. “I know where his focus is: on his team and his teammates and trying to win a championship. Whether he signs an extension or doesn’t, I don’t think it matters at all [for what kind of season he has]. I know where his head is at. I know what he is prepared to lead us to do.”
