Baseball sensation and superstar Aaron Judge is unsure of his future with the New York Yankees.
On a recent appearance on the R2C2 podcast, which features former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and YES Network announcer Ryan Ruocco, Judge discussed his upcoming free agency and contemplated his future with the team.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play in the best organization out of all of them, so who wants to go anywhere else?” Judge said. “If we get an extension done before the season starts, that’d be great. I’d be completely honored to wear pinstripes for a couple more years. But if it doesn’t happen and this is my last year [as a Yankee], I had a lot of great memories.”
Judge, who is arguably the current face of the Yankees franchise, even has his own dedicated section in Yankee Stadium, dubbed the “Judge’s Chambers.” The section, retrofitted to resemble a court jury box, houses fans dressed up as judges during home games.
But as Judge approaches age 30, he will become a free agent after the end of this upcoming season. The Yankees have a choice to offer him a contract now, before he hits that free agency period so no other team can make him offers, or they can choose to wait until he hits free agency and see what he demands, but other teams will be able to bid on him.
"If we get an extension done before the season starts that'd be great… If it doesn't happen and this is my last year, I had a lot of great memories." -Aaron Judge pic.twitter.com/l2hHM9H0Wm
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) February 17, 2022
With MLB superstars making upwards of over $30 million a year in free agency, such as pitcher Max Scherzer’s 3-year, $130 million contract with the Mets (an average of $43.3 million a year, which is the current record), not to mention Scherzer’s “old” age of 37, it will be no surprise if Judge demands an average annual value of at least $35 million. He is arguably one of the best players in the game right now, coming off an excellent 2021 season where he batted .287, with 39 home runs and 98 RBI in 148 games.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s the last year or the first year, I’m gonna go out there and play my best and do what I need to do for this city and what I need to do for the team,” Judge continued. “It’s all in God’s hands. It’s gonna work out the way it’s supposed to. That’s why I’ve got agents. I’ve got people taking care of that. I’m not even worried.”
With MLB currently in a lockout, the Yankees, along with the other 29 teams, are unable to make any moves, trades, or signings at this time, so they along with Judge and the other players must wait until the lockout ends to make a move. But once that happens, they’ll have to move quickly, as a player of Judge’s caliber only comes around once in a generation. If the Yankees want to keep him for themselves, they’ll have to act quickly.
Do you think the Yankees will resign Aaron Judge, or lose him to another team in free agency? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
