Breaking Down New York Yankees Captain Aaron Judge’s Tumultuous Free Agency

Does anyone remember Arson Judge? No? Let’s take a trip down memory lane. In 2022, Aaron Judge was one of the most talked about players in the MLB world. The New York Yankees are one of the oldest franchises in the league, with a storied career of their own. The clubhouse has birthed many great players, with Judge being also one of them. When it was clear that the outfielder might break Roger Maris’ AL single-season home run record, all eyes were on the Bronx before Judge finally did it.

He was named the AL MVP and baseball lovers were ecstatic. Judge made it impossible for fans to imagine him playing in anything other than pinstripes. But as it so happened, 2022 was the year when the then-30-year-old hit free agency. The MLB world held its breath for any news of a contract renewal.

It came, eventually. But the way to Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract was full of hurdles, despite his obvious talent.

Aaron Judge, Yankees’ $360 million, 9-year contract

The third-largest contract in baseball history was finalized on Dec. 20th, 2022. For many, Christmas came early. The Judge family certainly must have felt so. MLB clubhouses had lined up left and right like suitors in front of the outfielder, ready to take him home with them. But despite the enticing offers, New York is where he wanted to stay, and the Pinstripes were the only uniform he wanted to put on.

The Yankees had originally offered Judge $213.5 million for seven years before Opening Day 2022, but he turned it down. He believed in himself and his worth, and the deal was finally inked at the end of the season. They even named him the 16th franchise captain after Derek Jeter vacated the position in 2014. But the Yankees weren’t the only franchise waiting to snatch Judge up.

Aaron Judge turned down a $415 million Padres offer to stay with the Yankees

Athletes and sports fans are no strangers to seeing eye-popping numbers on cheques. Needless to say, Aaron Judge was the top trophy last year, and he was worth the numbers to many. Among those who wanted to snag him were the San Diego Padres. The Athletic reported in early 2023 that Judge actually turned down a much more lucrative offer from the team.

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While the current numbers are $360 million for nine years, upwards of $400 million and at least twelve years

were on the table with the Friars. But the slugger was determined to stay in New York. The Aaron Judge-Padres future was not to be. He even rejected a similar offer to the Yankees from the San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco Giants $360 million contract offer to Aaron Judge

MLB has many teams and team owners whose pockets run deep and those who are willing to invest in players. And while Judge may be a Californian native, his heart is on the east coast. He was the center of the news at the end of last year as everyone waited to know what would happen. But no one expected him to also become part of one of the biggest memes in the MLB world.

In his haste to report a rumor, Jon Heyman of The New York Post accidentally misspelled Judge’s name and the power of the internet prevailed. ‘Arson Judge’ became a meme, even if Heyman deleted the tweet 10 mins later and apologized for ‘jumping the gun’. Nevertheless, the real Judge reacted to the moment later. But while it was dismissed as a rumor, the Giants did offer the outfielder a deal.

The Giants were actually a childhood favorite for Judge, and many San Francisco fans hoped that Judge would accept the nine-year, $360 million deal. But while he may have cheered for them at one point in time and they may have made the offer first, Judge’s heart was in the Bronx. He would wait however long it took for the Bronx Bombers to realize it too.

Aaron Judge earned a $150 million fortune by betting on himself

Judge entered the 2022 season knowing he was going to be a free agent by the end of it. A satisfactory contract from the Yankees was nowhere in sight while other teams lined up with their own offers. But Judge remained stoic and bet on himself. He continued to prove his worth throughout the season and made it impossible for the Bronx Bombers to let him go.

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General manager Brian Cashman made public the details of their earlier offer to presumably put pressure on Judge, but the ballplayer chose to believe in his own talent. Had something happened in 2022 to alter that course, he may have regretted not taking the $200 million. But at the end of a brilliant season, Judge was named the AL Most Valuable Player. No better time to have one’s value go up than when negotiating a deal. The $213.5 million Aaron Judge contract eventually turned to $360 million and never had betting on oneself paid off more.

Aaron Judge’s previous contracts

While in high school, Judge was a multi-sport athlete, but preferred baseball. The Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB Draft, but he chose to play college ball. The Yankees eventually selected him in the 2013 MLB Draft as the 32nd overall selection.

The original Aaron Judge Yankees contract was signed with the team and he received a $1.8 million signing bonus. From the looks of it now, he will be a Yankee for life, much like another captain.

Is Aaron Judge the highest-paid MLB Player?

Judge continues to impress this season, despite being on the injured list more than a few times. He’s still proving why he was worth the investment by the Yankees. So it’s no wonder why Judge is currently among some of the highest-paid ballplayers in all of Major League Baseball. With names like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander leading the charts, Judge is right near the top.

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