The New York Yankees got into a bit of a predicament this season. They failed to reach an agreement with Aaron Judge, and even though they avoided arbitration for this season, they could still lose him in free agency.
Judge turned down a huge offer from the Yankees and bet on himself. He's been the leading candidate for AL MVP and is having one of the best seasons of his career, so it's clear that the gamble paid off.
He'll Get A Massive Payday
Even before Juan Soto's astronomic contract demands, Judge was expected to eclipse the $ 300 million mark in his next deal. At least, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, who doesn't see him settling for less than that:
"If Aaron Judge stays healthy, that's headed for a contract that starts with a three," Passan said on The Rich Eisen Show.He's Not Going Anywhere
But as much as that sounds, there's just no way the Yankees will let him go at this point, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale:
"Now that the New York Yankees avoided a potential ugly arbitration hearing with All-Star Aaron Judge, splitting the difference at $ 19 million with $ 250,000 bonuses for winning the AL MVP and the World Series MVP, there’s little doubt that he’ll wind up staying in New York," wrote Nightengale.Rivals Can't Offer That Much
Judge will have no shortage of suitors in the offseason, including Mets, Giants, and Cubs; but whether a team will be able to outbid the Yankees seems unlikely at this point:
"While it certainly will cost more than the $ 213.5 million the Yankees offered before opening day, the Giants, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs or anyone else aren’t going to out-bid the Yankees," added Nightengale.Judge Wants To Retire A Yankee
Judge has repeatedly stated his desire to retire in Pinstripes but hinted at the possibility of leaving if they kept lowballing him.
"The money, the contract has never been why I play this game. I want to play for the Yankees and be here for a long time. If it works out, it works out – if it doesn't, it doesn't," Judge told SNY weeks ago. "I want to be a Yankee for life,” he also said in 2021. “I want to wear these pinstripes for the rest of my career and represent this great organization and bring a championship back to the city.”We get it; it's all business. But he's not going anywhere, so just pay the man and let's get this over with.
]]>The Inquisitr
