Aaron Judge 'Disappointed' Contract Talks Stalled: 'I Want to Be a Yankee for Life'

The New York Yankees and star slugger Aaron Judge were unable to agree to terms on a contract extension by his Opening Day deadline, and after a 6-5 extra innings win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday, he said he was "disappointed" about the lack of deal. 

"I'm not a free agent," Judge told reporters. "No matter what, I'm playing here for the Yankees for this whole year."

He added: "I'm just disappointed because I've been vocal that I want to be a Yankee for life."

While he was upset he couldn't agree to terms with the Yankees, he also told reporters he doesn't mind going into free agency:

"Very few people get this opportunity to talk extension. Me getting this opportunity is something special, and I appreciate the Yankees wanting to do that. But I don't mind going into free agency. It is what it is. At the end of this year, I’ll talk to 30 teams. The Yankees will be one of those teams."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday the team offered Judge a seven-year, $213.5 million deal. The final offer was an eight-year contract that would have included his last year of arbitration and an additional seven years worth $30.5 million annually, according to ESPN's Marly Rivera.  

Cashman said, per Rivera:

"We were unsuccessful in concluding a multiyear pact. Obviously, our intent is to have Aaron Judge stay as a New York Yankee as we move forward, and I know that is his intent as well, which is a good thing. We're going to be entering those efforts in a new arena, which would be at the end of the season when free agency starts, and maybe that will determine what the real market value would be, because we certainly couldn't agree at this stage on a contract extension."

Had Judge accepted the Yankees' offer worth $30.5 million per year, he would have become the highest-paid right fielder in baseball. Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper currently owns that title with an annual salary of $27.5 million, per Spotrac. 

Judge has been a regular in the Yankees' lineup since 2017, when he won the AL Rookie of the Year award. Last season, he slashed .287/.373/.544 with 39 home runs and 98 RBI in 148 games. 

The 29-year-old also earned an All-Star selection, a Silver Slugger award and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. 

Judge started out the season strong against the Red Sox, going 2-for-5 at the plate with one run scored.