TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees reached agreements to avoid arbitration with 11 of their 12 eligible players on Tuesday, leaving only outfielder Aaron Judge, whom the club hopes to sign to a long-term extension before Opening Day.

Judge filed at $21 million and the Yankees countered at $17 million, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Judge has said that he hopes to play his entire career in pinstripes, but he has set an April 7 deadline to reach a deal, not wanting his contract to be a talking point during the season.

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“I think both sides want to come to an agreement,” Judge said on Wednesday. “I think we’re both not really too happy, not being able to settle on something and kind of work through it, but I think we’ve still got time. I know we both filed numbers, but that doesn’t mean the communication stops. Hopefully we can find a number that works for both of us.”

Should Judge and the Yankees be unable to agree on an extension, they would go to an in-season hearing to determine the value of a 2022 contract. Reaching an extension would negate the need for that process.

“I think we’ll get it all taken care of,” Judge said. “Like I’ve said, I want to be a Yankee for life.”

Judge said that club brass brought up the possibility of an extension during a telephone call with Judge and agent Page Odle on Tuesday, though they have yet to discuss the length or value of a potential deal.

“I know they want to talk about it at some point,” Judge said, “but I think we want to lock down this one year thing and kind of get past that, based on the [April 7] deadline. Then maybe we can work towards that extension. … My main focus was trying to get this arbitration stuff done. If they want to bring up talks for an extension, I’m all ears. But if it’s just a one-year [contract] for right now, then that’s what it’s going to be.” 

The unanimous 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and runner-up in that year’s MVP chase, Judge has batted .276/.386/.554 with 158 home runs and 366 RBIs in six Major League seasons from 2016-21. Last year, he paced the Bombers in all three triple-slash line categories, hitting .287/.373/.544 with 39 homers and 98 RBIs in 148 games.

“Our intent would be, we’d like to have him back if we can,” general manager Brian Cashman said earlier this spring. “Like everything else, just like trades and free agency, you have to be on the same page and common ground. The only way to find out is to have some conversations, first and foremost. Those will happen, and we’ll try to keep it as private as we can. … We’re happy he’s a Yankee, and it’d be great if we could make him a Yankee longer.”

Judge said that he would be “not too happy” about attending an in-season arbitration hearing, referencing the contentious 2017 hearing experience relayed by right-hander Dellin Betances -- the most recent arbitration hearing involving a Yankee.

“Both sides want to avoid that, going into that room and having to fight each other a little bit, bringing out the boxing gloves,” Judge said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he believes Judge and the Yankees will "be able to work through anything." 

"If and when we get to that point, we'll have conversations that are necessary, that are sometimes hard," Boone said. "We're dealing with a great player that's a pro. I'm confident that will rule the day in the end." 

The Yankees announced that they agreed to terms on one-year contracts with infielder/outfielder Miguel Andújar, outfielder Joey Gallo, right-hander Chad Green, catcher Kyle Higashioka, right-hander Clay Holmes, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, left-hander Jordan Montgomery, left-hander Wandy Peralta, right-hander Jameson Taillon and infielder Gleyber Torres.