Die hard sports fans live and die for what happens on the field, court, and ice. However, for the players participating in the game, and the owners paying their salary, it’s all business. Chicago Cubs’ fan favourite, and current New York Yankee Anthony Rizzo believes the business side of baseball trumps any loyalty.
Anthony Rizzo’s comments on Aaron Judge’s potential extension with the Yankees doesn’t mean anything one way or the other.
This probably gets done but if it doesn’t, Judge would join a decent sized list of stars who left their teams in recent years. pic.twitter.com/rv3gBzTmI7
— Joe Randazzo (@Yankeelibrarian) April 7, 2022
The New York Yankees and Aaron Judge are currently in contract negotiations. Reports emerged that New York offered Judge a multi-year offer of over $200 million.
Barring a significant change in the next few hours, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will not strike a contract extension before his deadline of first pitch today, sources tell ESPN. The Yankees have proposed a deal for more than $225 million, but the sides remain apart.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2022
For those of you who live like me, you may roll your eyes when you see players scoffing at hundreds of millions of dollars. You look at your cheque in disgust, as you try to cope with the cost of rising gas prices and inflation. At the end of the day it’s jealousy. Aaron Judge has a skill set that you and I don’t have, and that skills set allows him to demand a ridiculous amount of money.
Anthony Rizzo knows exactly what that feels like. After being a huge part of the Chicago Cubs run to breaking the curse, the Cubs lowballed Rizzo on a contract offer in 2021, and that ultimately led to Rizzo joining the Yankees.
Rizzo’s story is exactly why it shouldn’t be upsetting when a player is trying to get paid. In almost every sport there is an expected loyalty from the employee, while the owner shows zero.
Brian Cashman says Aaron Judge rejected the team’s offer of a 7-year, $213.5 million extension that would have begun in 2023. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 8, 2022
As I write this the Yankees and Boston Red Sox are tied 3-3, so clearly Judge and New York won’t get a deal done. Judge’s contract situation will be a story to follow, and it will probably leave Yankee fans uneasy if Judge explores free agency, because he’s the face of the pinstripes.
