As Aaron Judge continues red-hot start, Brian Cashman declines comment on slugger’s contract

As the ball sailed into the second deck, you could almost hear the cash register adding up more money on Aaron Judge’s expected free-agent contract. The Yankees’ 30-year-old slugger not only leads the majors with 10 homers this season, he’s been clutch. Tuesday night’s blast was Judge’s first career walk-off home run and it’s coming as he and the Yankees are headed toward an arbitration date believed to be in June.

Brian Cashman declined to comment Wednesday morning on whether the Bombers have made any progress on a deal for Judge this season or beyond. The Yankees GM reiterated what he said hours before the team’s first game of the season; the Yankees tried negotiating a long-term extension that, including the 2022 season, would have been worth $230 million.

“When I talked to everybody here right before the season started, just to shine a light on everything, we honored the conversations... we certainly made an attempt and then we’re not going to talk about it now going forward,” Cashman said before the Yankees took on the Blue Jays at the Stadium. “Whether that means we’re not going to talk — and I’m not saying that — but we’re not going to talk about it here in this forum moving forward.

“But he’s been great, but that’s no surprise because he is great.”

Cashman said the team does have a date for arbitration with Judge, who turned down $17 million this spring, but would not disclose when it will be.

Judge had been clearly annoyed that hours before first pitch with the Red Sox, Cashman had come into the press conference room and laid down the details of the deal that he had turned down.

“It’s something I felt like was private between my team and the Yankees,” Judge said. “Cash has a job to do.”

Cashman said there have been no lingering issues between him and Judge, saying Wednesday that he was not aware that the right-fielder had wanted to keep it private.

“If he did it, I didn’t pay attention to it. I just know that it was a conversation ... all that stuff is. It was like a month and a half ago now. So I don’t really think I need to reiterate it, but yes, his camp knew all about it,” Cashman said of him providing the press with the details of the contract. “So, I assumed he knew all about it. And if you’re saying he was upset by it, I’m not aware of that. So it certainly doesn’t feel like it when I interact with him from then till now.”

Judge is not playing like a man worried about his contract. He is slashing .290/.356/.626 with 10 home run, 22 RBI and a .982 OPS.