Aaron Judge Rumors: Yankees Were Willing to Raise $30.5M AAV in Contract Offer

The Yankees offered Judge a contract extension that would have paid him $30.5 million annually, but he turned it down.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees were willing to slightly raise the average annual value of the extension. Heyman noted that the team was hoping for Judge to come off his request by a million dollars a year or so.

The highest-paid outfielder in MLB history is Mike Trout with an average salary of $35.54 million.

The Yankees offer of $213 million over seven years to Judge would have made him the second-highest paid outfielder. The New York Post reported last week that Judge's camp wondered why he couldn't be paid the same amount as Trout when he's 38.

The judge is turning 30 on April 26. Sherman noted that the Yankees stopped short of giving him a deal similar to Trout because there are concerns about Judge staying healthy.

Judge wants to stay in New York on a long-term deal. Judge is betting on himself that he will be able to get a deal similar to the one Mike Trout got from the Los Angeles Angels.

Judge will have to lead New York to its first World Series trip since it won the title in 2009. The Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Judge has yet to hit a home run this season.