Jun 21, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson (28) looks on during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees signed Aaron Judge to a monster deal to keep him in the Bronx. Judge is making a ton, but deserves every penny after the season he had and the career he’s had. These three players, however, are making more than they’ve shown to be worth.
The New York Yankees might not be willing to spend on every single player as they did in the past, but still have one of the highest payrolls in the game.
They spent a ton on Aaron Judge to keep him in the Bronx. Almost $400 million, to be exact. After getting Judge back New York signed Carlos Rodon to a big deal as well, giving him $162 million. Judge and Rodon’s contracts could end up looking awful down the line, but for now, they don’t look too awful.
The Yankees do have three players in particular who are, because of bad contracts, essentially stealing money from their team.
1. The Josh Donaldson trade has been a disaster for the Yankees
The Josh Donaldson trade is one of the worst moves Brian Cashman has ever made as Yankees GM. It might be a stretch to think that, but when you really think about it, that’s simply the truth.
Donaldson’s first season in the Bronx couldn’t have gone much worse. His offense took a massive step back, as he slashed .222/.308/.374 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI in 132 games. He had a 94 OPS+ which is almost 30 points lower than his production in 2021.
Donaldson was even worse in the postseason, recording just five hits in 29 at-bats with a .570 OPS. He was likely booed more than any Yankee player last season, something no Yankee player wants.
The worst part about this trade (other than the fact that the Yankees let the Twins sign Carlos Correa) was that the Yankees took on the remainder of his contract. Two years, $42 million. This is the final year of the deal (there’s a mutual option for 2025 worth $6 million), but Donaldson shouldn’t really be starting, let alone making over $20 million.