NEW YORK — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner held a one-on-one meeting with Aaron Judge to make sure the star free agent slugger knows how much New York wants him back.
“I do believe he wants to be a Yankee. I think we’ve got a good thing going here,” Steinbrenner said during a 30-minute question-and-answer session with reporters at the Major League Baseball owners meeting.
Judge turned down an offer from the Yankees ahead of opening day that would have been worth $213.5 million from 2023-29. Steinbrenner said he approved general manager Brian Cashman making the offer public since he thought it would leak out.
Steinbrenner says other commitments wouldn’t restrain the Yankees in talks with Judge.
“We know where we’re at, and I can tell you that that’s not going to stop us,” he said.
Judge set an American League record with 62 homers and tied for the major league lead with 131 RBIs. The likely AL MVP, he has said his preference is to remain with the Yankees.
Steinbrenner met alone with Judge and was involved in two or three other meetings with the right fielder that included others.
“I wanted him to know how I felt in case there was any – what’s the word I’m looking for? – in case there was, any lack of clarity on his part – ambiguity,” Steinbrenner said.
Steinbrenner spoke before it became known that first baseman Anthony Rizzo had agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal to stay with the Yankees.
In other news, he said:
– Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza will be given a chance to earn infield jobs during spring training.
– Cashman’s new contract is “just semantics at this point. I’ve told him that I want him back,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s just a matter of salary.”
Judge could become Yankees captain if he stays in the Bronx. Steinbrenner said he envisions Judge as another in a line of Yankees all-time greats, such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Derek Jeter.
“People gravitate toward him. The young players gravitate toward him. And, obviously, our fans, very important to our fans, the fan base, and very important to my family and the organization,” Steinbrenner said. “So I’ve absolutely conveyed that I want him to be the Yankee for the rest of his life. No doubt about that. He knows that. The rest is up to him and his family and where they where they want to go from here. But we’re going to do what we can, I can assure you.”
While there is no set timetable for…