Just a few weeks ago, the New York Yankees had the chance to either extend Gerrit Cole (and re-work his deal) or simply tack on one extra year for $36 million after the star right-hander exercised his opt out clause.

The Yankees' ace will remain on the team with his four-year contract, but there's still a possibility of that being extended.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who on Thursday was named the unanimous American League MVP, told reporters during a Friday conference call that he has been giving Juan Soto, the top free agent on the market whom the Yankees hope to sign to a long-term contract, plenty of space.

Steinbrenner previously called the Yankees’ 2024 payroll unsustainable, as they went above $300 million for the first time in franchise history. He reiterated that point on Wednesday, but noted that a lot of money has come off the pennant-winning team’s books thanks to a few in-house free agents.