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sports Diasabra 9 aPriL 2022

Judge, Yankees fail to agree to long-term contract

(AP) — Aaron Judge began what
could be his last season with the Cashman said the Yankees offered a
New York Yankees after failing to contract averaging $30.5 million an-
agree to a long-term contract by nually from 2023-29, with Judge’s
the slugger’s opening-day dead- 2022 salary to be either the $17 mil-
line to reach a deal. lion offered by the team in arbitration
or the $21 million requested by the
Yankees general manager Brian Cash- player.
man said the team offered an eight-
year contract worth $230.5 million to Cashman anticipates talks will re-
$234.5 million, the difference to have sume after the season. Judge would
been determined in arbitration for not be free to negotiate with all teams
this year’s salary. until the sixth day after the World Se-
ries.
Judge’s representatives wanted a
nine-year deal in excess of the aver- “We’ll wait now as we enter the win-
age annual value of Los Angeles An- ter. There’s no guarantees that any-
gels outfielder Mike Trout’s contract, thing will happen with that,” Cash-
which comes to $319.6 million, a man said. “I know that the intent on
person familiar with the negotiations both parties would be to stay here.
said, speaking on condition of ano- He’s been a great Yankee. He’s an im-
nymity because Judge’s stance was pactful player. He’s one of the game’s
not made public. great players. And so — certainly our
hope is that at some point we’ll find
The outfielder is eligible for free that common ground that we both
agency after the World Series. feel comfortable with, but the timing
obviously on that is not going to hap- special. ”
“We obviously had an extended con- pen right now.” Judge has a .276 average, 158 hom-
versation over the last three weeks or His locker was moved this season ers and 366 RBIs in six major league
so with Page Odle and I — I actually Judge is a three-time All-Star who from near the front entrance of the seasons.
had a conversation with Aaron Judge turns 30 on April 26. He led the Yan- Yankees clubhouse to the stall next
briefly, as well, but we were unsuc- kees last season with a .287 batting to the entrance to the showers, a spot “He’s the ultimate teammate,” Yan-
cessful in concluding a multiyear average, 39 homers and 98 RBIs. that goes to a senior player and had kees manager Aaron Boone said.
pact,” Cashman said, looking glum been occupied by Brett Gardner. The “He’s probably the biggest leader in
during a news conference about two Judge said before batting practice that stall opposite Judge’s is occupied by that room, and he’s an amazing player
hours before the first pitch. “Obvi- he would address the situation after Gerrit Cole, who took it over from that wants to go out and be great and
ously, our intent is to have Aaron the game. CC Sabathia. wants nothing more than to be a part
Judge stay as a New York Yankee as of a championship club. And there’s
we move forward, and I know that’s “If it happens, it happens,” he said. “I get a better view of the TV,” Judge no doubt in my mind, whatever the
his intent, as well, which is a good “Just the thought of going down this said. “I talked to Gardy a little bit outcome is, nothing will change in
thing.” route with the Yankees is something about it. He said: ‘Take care of it.’” the way Aaron goes about things.”

LeBron James to miss Lakers’ final 2 games with ankle injury

(AP) — LeBron James will The 37-year-old James av- history has played in only Jabbar and his 38,387 points
miss the final two games The Lakers made the an- eraged 30.3 points this sea- one game since spraining his for the top spot in league his-
of the Los Angeles Lakers’ nouncement Friday before son while playing in only 56 ankle March 27, scoring 38 tory.
season with a sprained left they hosted the Oklahoma games, two shy of the mini- points in a crushing home
ankle, almost certainly City Thunder. Los Angeles’ mum to qualify for the scor- loss to New Orleans on April James also averaged 8.2 re-
preventing him from win- disappointing season ends ing title with his full points- 1. bounds and 6.2 assists in his
ning his second NBA scor- Sunday at Denver. per-game average. The sec- 19th season. He will make
ing title. ond-leading scorer in NBA James is slightly behind nearly $44.5 million next
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, season in the final year of his
who is averaging 30.4 points contract with the Lakers.
per game in one of the clos-
est scoring title races in NBA Although he has racked up
history. Milwaukee’s Giannis impressive stats while defy-
Antetokounmpo is third at ing his age, James will miss
29.9 points per game. the playoffs for only the sec-
ond time since 2005 because
James is a four-time league of the Lakers’ major struggles
MVP with four champion- in the second half of the sea-
ship rings, but he won his son. He missed the postsea-
only scoring title back in 2008 son in his first season with
with Cleveland. The 18-time the Lakers in 2018-19.
All-Star was attempting to
become the oldest scoring Los Angeles (31-49) has lost
champion in NBA history by eight consecutive games and
surpassing Michael Jordan, is 10-30 since Jan. 7. Anthony
who was 35 when he won his Davis returned to the line-
final title. up April 1 after missing six
weeks with the latest in his
James passed Karl Malone for long series of injuries over
second place on the NBA’s the past two seasons after the
career scoring list on March Lakers won their franchise’s
19. With 37,062 points, he 17th championship in the
trails only Kareem Abdul- Florida bubble.