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Aaron Judge returns to the Yankees on a new multi-year deal
After months of speculation, the wait is over.
Aaron Judge is not going anywhere.
After turning down a contract extension last season from the New York Yankees, Judge is a much richer man today. The outfielder has agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract to return to the Yankees.
Before the start of last season, Judge turned down a seven-year extension from the Yankees, that was worth $230 million. Instead, the outfield bet on himself, and decided to test the free agency waters at the end of this past season.
The bet paid off.
Judge set a new American League record, belting 62 home runs last season for the Yankees. He was also a near-unanimous selection for AL MVP, securing 28 first-place votes. Los Angeles Angels OF/P Shohei Ohtani received two.
That season made Judge a much-coveted player as free agency loomed. With the league in San Diego this week for winter meetings, there was rampant speculation that Judge could be on the move. That speculation reached a fever pitch when New York Post writer Jon Heyman tweeted that “Arson Judge” was headed to the San Francisco Giants:
Heyman later deleted the tweet, and walked back his initial report:
Giants say they have not heard on Aaron Judge, My apologies for jumping the gun.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2022
Sadly, we can only speculate how amazing a hitter Arson Judge would be in San Francisco, or anywhere else for that matter.
