The Yankees’ biggest question is what they will do with Aaron Judge when he becomes a free agent. Harrison Bader has warned that the Yankees’ top star could leave. However, manager Aaron Boone hopes to see Aaron Judge in pinstripes next year and thereafter.
Harrison Bader cited how Albert Pujols left the Cardinals for the Angels when he became a free agent to warn the Yankees of a possible exit by Aaron Judge this winter. Albert Pujols played for the Cardinals for 11 years but accepted a 10-year, $254 million deal from the Angels when he became a free agent in 2011.
Highlighting this Bader, who was at Citizens Bank Park, appearing on MLB Network during World Series Game 3, told on Tuesday:
“Listen, if Albert Pujols can leave, so can anyone else. Aaron Judge earned everything that’s coming his way. I wish him the absolute best wherever he ends up. It’s a decision he and his family will make. … I’m looking forward to see how it shakes out.”
Aaron Judge just finished a record-setting season in which he hit 62 home runs surpassing Roger Maris’ 1961 record. He is on his way to becoming the MVP. When Albert Pujols dumped the Cardinals in 2011, the slugger had a more illustrious resume, which included NL MVP recognition thrice and 10 top-five finishes in the voting for the award.
According to Harrison Bader:
“It’s a business. I learned that very quickly this year. There are no hard feelings at all. It’s never personal. It’s about the game. Selfishly, I’d love to continue to be [Judge’s] teammate. He’s an incredible talent.”
Aaron Judge turned down the Yankees‘ offer of a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension on the first day of the season. Instead, he chose to bet on himself in his last season of arbitration before going out on his own.
After delivering a historic season, he is now in a position to cash in, with the expectation that he will sign a contract that is at least eight years long and is worth more than $300 million.
But manager Aaron Boone hopes that Aaron Judge will stay in New York. On Thursday’s “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York, Boone made his first public comments since the Yankees were eliminated from the AL Championship Series. He said, “Hopefully we’ll see Judge for years to come in pinstripes.”
The manager refused to “entertain the idea of considering the alternative” and admitted that “it’s difficult to imagine that anyone else could take Aaron Judge’s place in the Yankees lineup.”
He was hopeful that Aaron Judge would be “back in pinstripes for his entire career and things would be worked out between Aaron and the Yankees.” The manager admitted that his team “couldn’t have a better person than Judge leading them.”
Boone also made it clear that he had second thoughts about his decision to take out ace Gerrit Cole in favor of reliever Lou Trivino in the sixth inning of ALCS Game 3 and put in Lou Trivino. Earlier Michael Kay blasted him for this decision.
On Friday at 12 p.m. ET, Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are going to talk to the press at Yankee Stadium.
Where do you think Aaron Judge will play next season?
