TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge opened up about how the Yankees’ offseason made him feel. Not everyone in the organization appreciated the honesty.
The Yankees captain expressed frustration this week over the pace of the team’s winter moves. He watched rivals like the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Cubs load up with high-profile signings. Meanwhile, the Bronx Bombers went weeks without a significant addition. Judge called the experience “brutal” during his first full-squad spring training workout Monday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
But what caught the attention of longtime YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay was not the frustration itself. It was what came after it.
Judge sends mixed signals from camp
Judge did not hold back when asked about the offseason at spring training on Monday.
“Early on, it was pretty tough to watch,” Judge said. “I’m like, ‘Man, we’re the New York Yankees, let’s go out there and get the right people, get the right pieces to go out there and finish this thing off.'”
He added that watching other clubs make splashy trades and sign top-tier talent while the Yankees sat idle was difficult. “Let’s sign these guys right now and start adding more pieces because I’m seeing other teams around the league get better,” Judge said. “They’re making trades. They’re signing big prospects or big players. And we’re sitting there for a while kind of making smaller moves.”
But then came the pivot. Judge praised the final product. He said he was happy with the returns of Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt. He said the roster was set up nicely following the team’s 94-win season in 2025.
“We got a special group of players here, we got a good core, good young core,” Judge said. “So it was frustrating, but I think we’re right where we need to be.”
That contradiction is what stuck with Kay.
Kay calls Judge’s comments ‘passive aggressive’
On his ESPN New York radio show Tuesday, Kay took aim at what he saw as a confusing message from the face of the franchise.
“Didn’t it seem somewhat to you passive aggressive?” Kay asked a caller. “Like, he was frustrated but then he loves the team that they have. So, what was he frustrated about? Just the pace, that they didn’t do things right away? If you’re gonna lock in to getting Bellinger, then you’re a victim to Scott Boras’ whim. So, to me, it sounded almost passive aggressive.”
Kay’s central point was straightforward. Once the Yankees committed to re-signing Bellinger, they had no choice but to wait. Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, held out for a bigger deal. The negotiations dragged from November into January before New York finalized a five-year, $162.5 million contract. During that stretch, the Yankees’ hands were tied.
“He sounded frustrated but then sounded satisfied,” Kay said. “Little passive aggressive, but in the end, I love this team, and this is the team he wanted.”
Then came the sharpest line of the segment.
“I don’t understand what Aaron’s saying,” Kay said. “Where would you have made the changes?”
Kay shuts door on Bregman and Tucker talk
Kay also addressed two names that have lingered in Yankees fan circles all winter. Third baseman Alex Bregman, who signed with the Cubs, was never a real option for the Bronx. Kay said the Yankees were “never engaged on Bregman” because they did not believe his right-handed swing would play well in Yankee Stadium.
As for Kyle Tucker, who landed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers in January, Kay pointed out that there was simply no roster spot available once Bellinger and Grisham were back in the fold. The Yankees’ outfield of Judge, Bellinger and Grisham was set, leaving no room for a player of Tucker’s salary.
For Yankees fans who spent the winter dreaming of Tucker in pinstripes, the math never worked. Brian Cashman’s priority was Bellinger, and getting Bellinger meant closing the door on Tucker.
Stanton offers a different take
Judge was not the only Yankee asked about the slow winter. Giancarlo Stanton provided a notably different answer. While his captain described the experience as brutal, Stanton pushed back on the frustration angle.
“I was definitely checking to see if anything was going on,” Stanton said. “Interested. Frustrating? I wouldn’t say frustrating, you have all until through spring to make moves so just interested, curious.”
The contrast between Judge and Stanton underscored Kay’s point. If the captain says the offseason was brutal but the roster is exactly what he wanted, the complaint rings hollow. Boras controlled the Bellinger timeline. The Yankees could not speed that up.
A roster built around the captain’s wish list
The irony in all of this is that the Yankees ended up constructing almost exactly the team Judge wanted. Twenty-four of the 26 players from the 2025 ALDS roster are back for 2026. Bellinger returned on a massive deal. Grisham accepted the qualifying offer. Goldschmidt came back on a one-year, $4 million contract to provide right-handed depth against left-handed pitching.
Judge himself is coming off one of the finest seasons in franchise history. He slashed .331/.457/.688 with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs in 152 games, winning his third AL MVP award and capturing a batting title. Manager Aaron Boone called Judge’s growth as a leader “very real” and said he is “revered by everyone that walks through that room.”
Nobody questions Judge’s standing in the clubhouse. But Kay’s challenge was a fair one. If you love the team and you got the players you lobbied for, what exactly was so brutal?
The Yankees open Grapefruit League play Friday against the Orioles in Sarasota. Judge said he told the front office how he felt during the offseason. Whether that tension lingers or fades with the first crack of the bat remains to be seen.
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