When your name is Aaron Judge and you wear the New York Yankees uniform, it’s hard to stay away from the limelight!
Especially since he’s 6’7” tall and swings the needle on the scale between 280 and 300 lbs!
There is no doubt that Judge is currently the image of the Yankees, who dominate major league baseball along with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He could explore the market for autonomy at the end of this campaign.
The question that must be asked is: which team, except for New York, can afford the kind of contract that Judge wants to obtain?
After agreeing to a $324 million pact with Gerrit Cole in 2019, the Yankees seem to want to cut spending for the next few seasons. General manager Brian Cashman says he made a seven-year final offer for $213.5 million to his right fielder.
Observers argue that Judge could break the bank with a $300 million contract. Especially since Corey Seager has already won a $ 325 million pact for 10 years with the Texas Rangers.
But there is a catch…
Despite all his qualities and his impressive track record, Judge is 30 years old and he has only had three 112-game major league campaigns. Need we remind you that Alex Rodriguez got a 10-year deal for $275 million before his 32e anniversary ? That Albert Pujols accepted $240 million for 10 years at the age of 31? That Robinson Cano landed a 10-season contract for $240 million in 2014, on the eve of his 31st birthday?
Like any athlete, Judge recognizes that the windfall doesn’t pass every year. So when the opportunity arises, take advantage of it!
The Yankees have the third-highest payroll in the majors at $246 million, behind the Dodgers ($288 million) and New York Mets ($259 million).
It will be interesting to follow the events between now and the end of the season…
Felipe Alou and Joey Votto
The phone has just rung, and what a joy to hear Felipe Alou’s voice on the other end of the line!
His health is not the best, but he says he is in fairly good shape.
The former Expos manager informs me that he will be coming to Montreal by the end of June and that he would like us to have a bite to eat together with our wives.
Felipe follows very closely what is happening at the Blue Jays, because Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is one of his favorite players. Obviously, his heart may lean towards the Yankees, as his son Luis Rojas is now a third base coach for the Bronx Bombers, after having been manager of the Mets.
Of all the Canadians who have played in the majors except pitchers, the first names that come to mind are Larry Walker and Justin Morneau.
But we must add to this list that of Joey Votto, a native of Etobicoke, near Toronto, who made his mark with the Cincinnati Reds. Maybe that’s why his name isn’t mentioned often.
Still, the former Reds’ second-round pick in the 2002 draft is enjoying a career that may not take him to Cooperstown, but surely to St. Mary’s, home of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
While Walker leads with 2,160 hits, 383 home runs and 1,311 RBIs, Votto is right behind him with 2,045 hits to the field after yesterday’s game, including 333 long balls and 1,075 RBIs.
It remains to be seen now whether Votto will continue his career for enough seasons to join Walker, or even surpass him.
We are allowed to doubt it.
Santiago Espinal, the unknown
At the Toronto Blue Jays, the versatile Santiago Espinal is a very important cog.
Not only does he hit with more confidence, but the fact that he can play anywhere in the infield (except at receiver) makes him practically indispensable…
The only thing that harms him is that he plays in the shadow of Vladimir Jr.
Pirates win without a single hit
Three walks and a ground ball in the infield allowed the Pittsburgh Pirates to snatch a 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on May 15 … without having a single hit. The Pirates thus became the sixth team since 1901 to win without hitting a ball to safety. The last time we witnessed such a game was in 2008, when Jered Weaver and José Arredondo suffered a loss without allowing a single hit to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yelich has three carousels
Outfielder Christian Yelich, of the Milwaukee Brewers, is now part of a club that is, to say the least, exclusive, that of having managed three carousels since the start of his career. Curiously, Yelich signed his three carousels in games against the Reds! Cincinnati is the team that has allowed the most carousels in their history with 30, while the St. Louis Cardinals have allowed 24. Yelich became the first player to hit three carousels against the same team, having earned his first two against the Reds in 2018. The others are Bob Meusel, Babe Herman, John Reilly, Adrian Beltré and Trea Turner.
Difficult for Eovaldi
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi had a painful inning to say the least, as he was the victim of five home runs during the same inning. Facing the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox pitcher started the second inning with a 1-0 lead, but was unable to complete it. He equaled the major league record by giving up five long balls in one inning. Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena, Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel all dispatched shots from Eovaldi beyond the Fenway Park fence. Chase Anderson allowed five fourth-inning homers in September 2020, while Michael Blazek did the same in the third inning in July 2017.
JC Mejia suspended for 80 games
Right-handed pitcher JC Mejia received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for consuming stanozolol, a substance used to enhance his performance on the mound. Mejia is the second Brewers pitcher to be so sanctioned this season. The 25-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in November, had a 23.14 ERA in two outings as a reliever with the Brewers in May, after maintaining a 0.84 ERA with the AAA affiliate of Nashville.
