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MLB has reportedly asked the league to investigate by the Players Association to determine whether there was “improper communication” between the New York Yankees and New York Mets regarding outfielder Aaron Judge’s potential free agency pursuit.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday that the union cited SNY’s Andy Marty A Nov. 3 article by Andy Martino, which said the Mets would not engage in a “high-profile bidding war” with the Yankees because of the “respectful relationship” between team owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner . If the Yankees somehow announced they were out of the bidding, they would change course and pursue Judge,” Martino wrote.
If the Players Association can prove that the Mets’ unwillingness to directly target the Yankees with a direct bid against the Yankees, according to Rosenthal, destroyed Judge’s free agency, it would be a violation of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement. Since Cohen acquired majority control of the team in November 2020, the Mets have become one of the league’s largest spenders. According to Spotrac, Their current projected 2023 payroll ($184.7 million) is the highest in Major League Baseball at over $20 million. So it’s important for a top free agent like Judge to at least threaten a Mets bid as part of the process of maximizing their impact. Upside to slugger’s possible nine-figure contract. Judge hits 62 home runs in 2022 set a new record for the American League, but he did not disclose his full year in free agency.
“It’s all about It’s going to go through my agent,” Judge told reporters in October after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. “I haven’t even thought about the next step yet. But like I said, we have time to figure it out. I’ve never been to this place before. “
In addition to the Yankees and Mets, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox queued for other potential suitors and said it was hard to see any of the other 25 teams having a “legitimate chance” in the drawing. The equation represented a 20% drop in the judges’ interest in working with them in the market.
According to Rosenthal, the Players Association, the arbitrator will hear the case, and if collusion is proven, the judge may order ” Triple damages”.
Judge’s situation could make or break Yankees offseason. 2022 race During that period, he led the team’s offense for a long time, and had no choice, whether internal or external, who could replace his production unless a large-scale blockbuster trade was made.
So there’s a good chance Steinbrenner’s club will match any offer made to the 30-year-old four-time All-Star, regardless of the surrounding circumstances, But more limited competition could prove very valuable in the eventual contract cost. This makes the collusion case already making winter headlines One of the interesting subplots.
