The Yankees have agreed on one-year deals for the 2017 season for both Aaron Judge and Greg Bird, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Aaron Judge gets $544,500 if in majors, Greg Bird $545,500 #yankees
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 10, 2017
Bird and Judge are both considered pre-arbitration players based on their Major League service time. However, similar to Dellin Betances last year, the Yankees did not renew their contract as such.
According to Heyman, Bird will make $545,000, while Judge will earn $544,500 if they are on the big league roster. The Yankees pay scale for pre-arbitration is usually $100 per plate appearance over the league minimum, but other escalators could be involved as well.
Pre-arbitration contract agreements aren’t usually reported, but Bird and Judge are considered highly touted prospects in the Yankees organization. These types of contracts are usually split, meaning the player earns one salary at the big league level and one at the minor league level.
After missing the entire 2016 season due to injury, Bird is looking to win the team’s starting first base position. The 24-year-old made his debut in the Bronx during the 2015 season. He hit 11 home runs while posting a slash line of .261/.343/.529 in 46 games for the Bronx Bombers.
Just like Bird, Judge is looking to win a starting position on the 2017 Yankees roster. Judge is competing to win the starting right field job this spring, and should have a very good chance of starting the season in the Bronx.
The 24-year-old made his Major League debut in 2016. Judge struggled in his early time in the Bronx, and was forced to miss the final few weeks of the regular season due to an oblique injury.
Both players still have question marks surrounding them, but there is no doubt that both have a lot of potential. It’s very possible that Bird and Judge could be lethal forces in the middle of the Yankees lineup for many years to come.
Along with agreeing to pre-arbitration contracts with Bird and Judge, the Bronx Bombers also came to terms on a deal with Gary Sanchez. The terms of Sanchez’s deal have not been released.
