Court Adjourned: Judge Inks Massive Contract with Yankees

Photo Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

NEW YORK– All Rise and back up the brinks truck. Court is adjourned. Aaron Judge will remain in Yankee pinstripes for the foreseeable future and most likely for the entirety of his career. According to several sources, Judge and the New York Yankees have reportedly agreed to terms on a lucrative nine-year free agency contract worth an estimated $360 million. 

In a flurry of events this week at MLB’s Winter Meetings held in San Diego, California, Judge was viewed as the number one commodity on the superstar market. Many believed, and it was proven to be true after the fact, several front offices halted many of their own teams’ moves until his decision was made public. 

Hour by hour revolved around new headlines based on several rumors, but in the end, three franchises presented Judge with similar final offers (San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Yankees). Now, with his massive decision made, Judge will remain a Yankee until the end of the 2031 regular season, where by then, he’ll be 39 years old. 

‘Judges Chambers’ located in right field of the stadium on 161st Street, River Ave. will continue to be Yankee fans’ stomping grounds. And No. 99 jerseys will remain dominating the Bronx. 

Pending a physical and contract specifics, Judge will become the highest paid position player in MLB history, earning an average annual value (AAV) of $40 million per year, overtaking Los Angeles Angels’ superstar centerfielder Mike Trout ($35.5 million). 

Remember where you were when #AaronJudge made history. 6️⃣2️⃣ #AllRise pic.twitter.com/w4kbDJf5ZC

— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2022

With one of the greatest bet-on yourself seasons across all of sports, slugging 62 home runs to set a new American League single season HR record and winning the coveted AL Most Valuable Player award, Judge earned himself a massive raise across 2022. Specifically, upwards of a $146 million raise.

To wind back the clock as Opening Day approached this past April, Judge and his camp were brought to the table by Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and front office executives with a seven-year contract extension totaling up to $213.5 million. A straining decision as Judge’s free agency window was eight months away and a detrimental risk of seeing it all diminish due to a potential injury as well as an inefficient year statistically. 

Uniquely enough, Judge bet on himself and declined the generous offer. 

Instead, he entered the year relinquishing his willpower with stellar defense, superb offense slashing .311/.425/.686, leading the Yankees to 99 regular season victories, an AL East division crown and an American League Championship Series appearance. 

Towering over at 6 ‘7, weighing 282 lbs, Judge is a one of a kind physical specimen. He carries the Yankees stature in pristine fashion, consistently praising his teammates, coaches, and rapid New York fanbase. In addition, Judge has shown generosity and accessibility to the media of home/visiting teams since the beginning of his pro-career.

Along with executing in high-pressure moments under the bright lights of New York, he is not just the face of the Yankees, but one of the essential faces of Major League Baseball. 

Nonetheless, Judge will remain within the Yankees pantheon, climbing the prestigious franchise rankings year on year. He is currently 80 home runs away from the 300 HR career mark; only six Yankee players have achieved that feat in franchise history (Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Alex Rodriguez). 

What’s next? Judge will be named the Yankees captain and will wear a ‘C’ on his chest for the next nine seasons. Only 15 Yankees have been officially designated as a team captain dating back to 1903. Many across this current Yankees clubhouse believe he has most certainly earned the mark, and will carry it with honor. 

“We follow everything he does,” said Yankees Nestor Cortes during the 2022 postseason. “He (Judge) leads by example. He’s not really a guy that comes out and screams at anybody. But if he has to, that’s his job. I think he’s earned that right to keep us in check.”

“What allows him to be so great, I feel like, is he’s a great baseball player, but he’s a better human.”

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Robert Rizzo writes for Latino Sports

Follow on Twitter: @RobertRiz994

Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com

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