Aaron Judge may or may not be one of the most hated athletes in New York right now, and depending on who you ask, it’s for a very good reason.
The name’s New York Yankees and Aaron Judge have been synonymous since 2017 when Judge terrorized the entire MLB with 154 hits, 52 home runs, 114 RBIs, a .284 batting average, and a ludicrous 1.049 OPS. At the end of the 2017 season, he would walk away as the AL Rookie of the Year, a Silver Slugger, and the American League Home Run leader. From there, Judge was not just a Yankee; he was the guy, a title the Yankees faithful were reluctant to hand out to anyone since the departure of Derek Jeter.
Yeah, that says a lot about what the fans think of him. The guy even got a section in right-field named for him.
Health has somewhat plagued Judge ever since. Though he would play 112 and 102 games in 2018 and 2019, he would consistently deal with injuries that would derail any momentum he had been generating to start both seasons. He would finish both seasons with 27 home runs, but after a monstrous 52 home run season, it’s relatively hard to get excited for anything less than 35-40 at that point. In 2020, he would see the field just 28 times in the 60-game shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward to 2021, and it seemed like the Judge of old had re-emerged. One hundred forty-eight games, 39 home runs, 98 RBIs, and a .287 batting average, while also receiving an All-Star Game appearance and AL MVP nods to conclude 2021.
And then, the Winter of 2021 happened. Aaron Judge would go to arbitration and file for a $21 million contract for the 2022 season, whereas the Yankees would file for $17 million. The Arbitration hearing is yet to occur for Judge and the Yankees, so it is unclear how much he will be paid for the 2022 season.
Moving along with the offseason, the CBA negotiation between the league and players delayed all talks throughout the offseason. Once the CBA had been agreed upon, negotiations resumed, and Judge was either in a rush or no rush. All the Yankees faithful knew through spring training was that Judge was not willing to talk about an extension during the regular season and had a deadline of Opening Day to get a new deal done. There was no need to worry, though. Aaron Judge is the face of the Yankees! He isn’t going anywhere!
As of today, April 12th, 2022, that is no longer a guarantee, as both sides failed to reach an extension before Opening Day, and Judge has made it known that come this winter, he will “speak to all 30 teams”. As per Yankees GM Brian Cashman, the proposed contract to Judge was a seven-year, $213.5 million contract. This contract would have put in an Average Annual Value (AAV) of roughly $30.5 million a season, along with the $17 million proposed in arbitration. This was, in total, an estimated $230 million package. Who in their right mind says no to this? Apparently, people named Aaron Judge.
On one hand, Judge has a case. When healthy and playing more than 90% of the season, which is roughly 145 games, he’s one of the best in the league and has proven it on more than one occasion. It’s very easy to understand why he would be looking for his payday. This will likely be the only monster contract he gets to sign to secure the bank at his age.
But that’s the problem, his age. In 2022, Judge will be entering his age 30 seasons. While in the ordinary world, 30 is still very young, in the sports world, not so much. The ageless wonders of sports are becoming increasingly rare as time goes on. It’s not everyday players like Albert Pujols come around to play until the sun burns out, and it’s fair to not expect it from a 6 foot 7, 282-pound skyscraper. A body frame such as that one has injuries written all over it, especially for a professional athlete in their mid 30’s. All sports contracts will always come with a risk (looking at you, Bobby Bonilla). To some, offering a 30-year-old, that type of term was already risky business. But in all actuality, you won’t lock up Judge without offering tenure. So whether it be in the pinstripes or another clubhouse’s uniform, it’s relatively safe to say you will have Aaron Judge in your clubhouse for a minimum of seven years.
There is just one other problem. The fact that not even a month ago, Judge would tell everyone he wanted to be a Yankee for life. Today, we wonder if we are watching his last season as a Yankee. The reality is that none of us will ever know the true reason for Judge declining Cashmans more than fair contract offer. Is it term? Money? Both? Most would want to believe that this has nothing to do with the money. The fact is that Aaron Judge will not, or at least should not, see Mike Trout’s money. A player that, when healthy, is the best player in the MLB, Trout has proven why even when playing half a season, he is worth every penny the Angels shelled for him. Judge hasn’t given any reason to assume he should make any more than Trout does. So for Mr. “Why would you want to play anywhere else?” to jerk the strings of the Yankees faithful like this, it’s just plain wrong. From a fan’s perspective, this is a sad time, especially when you consider the fact of potentially losing one of, if not your best players for nothing.
The remainder of the Aaron Judge and New York Yankees drama will be a focal point for Yankee and MLB fans alike for the 2022 season. It will undoubtedly be a significant storyline headed into the trade deadline this summer.
