Yanks make qualifying offers to Judge, Rizzo

NEW YORK -- The Yankees extended qualifying offers to free agents Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo ahead of Thursday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline.

Each qualifying offer is valued at $19.65 million for a one-year contract. Players have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to accept or reject the offer.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that the club is interested in retaining both Judge and Rizzo. Should either sign with a different club, the Yanks will now be compensated with Draft picks.

Judge is the club’s top winter priority, the American League’s Hank Aaron Award winner and presumptive AL MVP now having reached free agency.

“Optimally, if you could wave a magic wand, we would secure Aaron Judge and retain him and have him signed and happy in the fold as soon as possible,” Cashman said earlier this week. “He’s a free agent. He’s earned the right to be a free agent. So he’ll dictate the dance steps.”

Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension on Opening Day, then he set the AL single-season record with 62 homers while finishing five batting-average points shy of a Triple Crown.

Cashman said that the club has been in contact with Judge’s agent, Page Odle, but he would not disclose if a new offer has been made.

Rizzo signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Yankees this past spring that included an opt-out clause for 2023. Rizzo triggered that option on Monday and could be seeking another multi-year deal after tying his career high with 32 home runs.

“We’d love to sign Anthony Rizzo back if possible,” Cashman said. “We’ll stay in touch with him as well as the rest of the marketplace. We clearly have a vacancy now at first base. The preference would be to retain the player we know and like. Ultimately, you have to explore all options, trade vs. free agency.”

The Yankees considered extending a qualifying offer to right-hander Jameson Taillon, but they did not. Taillon was 14-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 32 regular season starts.