Aaron Judge to sign new Yankees contract, predicts Jeff Passan

New York — Best-selling sports writer and ESPN columnist Jeff Passan doesn’t think that Aaron Judge will leave the New York Yankees when he becomes a free agent this offseason.

I do think that when it’s all said and done Aaron Judge will end up a New York Yankee. … Aaron Judge is the closest thing that the New York Yankees have had to Derek Jeter, ESPN’s Jeff Passan said on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. He’s the captain, he’s the leader in the clubhouse, he’s extremely well-regarded by his teammates, by the coaching staff, by management. Everybody loves Aaron Judge. So the idea that he’s going to be wearing another uniform, it just seems hard to fathom. But look, money talks.

Passan also said that he thinks Judge will sign a contract worth more than $300 million this winter. This past offseason, the Yankees offered him a 7-year deal worth $230 million. After efforts to ink a long-term deal failed before the 2022 season, Judge signed a one-year, $19 million contract in June.

Judge, 30, has improved this season. He’s hitting .296 with 51 homers, 113 RBI, 104 runs, and 1.064 OPS. He’s a favorite to win American League MVP, competing with Shohei Ohtani, the reigning MVP.

The four-time AL Rookie of the Year and current member of the Yankees‘ All-Star team has been one of the primary contributors to the team’s 79-52 record, which places them in first place in the AL East by a margin of six games.

I’ve never seen anything like it, Judge’s teammate Jameson Taillon told reporters on Tuesday regarding the slugger’s epic season after he hit his 51st dinger. It feels like any time he’s up, there’s a chance for him to do something special. It doesn’t matter what scouting report you have or if you execute your pitch, he’s so good he can still hit it out all over the park.

That will make Judge a hot commodity this offseason and should drive up his price. Judge’s ability to hit home runs is one of the most valuable in baseball, and he’s done it 209 times in 699 career games while maintaining a .388 on-base percentage.

In baseball, there are a lot of big hitters who either strike out or hit the ball over the fence. After Joey Gallo’s bad time with the Yankees, Yankees fans know a lot about this type of player.

However, Judge is not that player. As such, he will receive compensation, most likely from the Yankees.

Do you agree with it? Or do you think that Aron Judge will leave the Yankees? Leave your comment.