Aaron Judge, the American League home run champion, is about to get paid this offseason. Who signs his checks for the next decade or so is the question.
Judge, 30, grounded out in the ninth inning of Sunday night’s Game 4 loss to the Astros to end New York’s season. The Astros swept the Yankees in the ALCS, leaving a magnificent individual season on a sour note.
For the first time in his seven-year MLB career, Judge will test free agency. Asked if his goal is to remain a New York Yankee, Judge unsurprisingly left things ambiguous.
“Yeah, I’ve been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes, but we couldn’t get something done before spring training,” Judge said. “And now I’m a free agent and we’ll see what happens.”
Judge blasted 62 home runs during the regular season. He led the sport in OPS, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, homers and RBI. But in the postseason, Judge went 5-for-36 (.139) with 15 strikeouts.
After Sunday’s loss, Judge said he didn’t let the possibility of it being his last game as a Yankee enter his mind.
“Tried to go out there and do my job, help this team win,” Judge told reporters. “Really didn’t think about it as my last game here. It happened so quick, you don’t really have time to soak much in.”
Many industry experts have pegged San Francisco as a possible landing spot for Judge, a Linden, CA native. The Giants have a need for an everyday outfielder, a fanbase starving for star power, and maximum financial flexibility. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has made it clear he views this as a big offseason, and chairman Greg Johnson once referred to Judge as “the guy who hits in the Bronx.”
But it would take Judge’s willingness to leave New York for a homecoming to materialize. Judge turned down New York’s seven-year, $213 million contract extension offer last winter, but the Yankees are still expected to do what they can to retain their homegrown superstar.
Houston has eliminated the Yankees from the postseason in three of the past six seasons. New York last made it to the World Series in 2009, when it won its 27th title.
Judge said he has “plenty of time” to think about what could come next for him. The clock starts ticking now.
