Yankees’ Aaron Judge Unsure About His Future Following Disappointing Playoff Exit
The New York Yankees find themselves in a similar position once again after being swept 4-0 by the Houston Astros in the ALCS, leading to a disappointing end to their once promising season. But this time feels slightly different, as it should.
There’s no guarantee that superstar Aaron Judge will be back in pinstripes next season, as he is eligible to become a free agent following the World Series. And after already declining a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension, Game 4 may have been his swan song in the Bronx.
Fittingly, the final play of that elimination contest came down to Judge, who stepped to the plate with two outs and his team trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning. One giant swing would’ve tied the game and likely sent it to extra innings.
But instead, Judge hit a 72.8-mph ground ball back to the pitcher, Ryan Pressly, who made an underhanded throw to first baseman Yuli Gurriel to punch Houston’s ticket to the final dance.
As the Astros celebrated their fourth World Series berth in six seasons, Judge walked off the field with his teammates – perhaps for the final time as a Yankee. He then proceeded into the clubhouse, where he’d eventually speak with national and local reporters.
When asked about his future, the 6-foot-7 slugger couldn’t provide any insight as to what might come next with his team’s playoff exit fresh in his mind. He did, however, admit he isn’t planning to rush into any decisions as a first-time free agent.
“I haven’t even thought about the next step yet,” Judge said. “We’ve got time to figure it out. I’ve never been in this spot before.”
There were several points throughout the season where Judge made sure to absorb his surroundings on home field, though. No matter what happens in the coming months, he’ll always cherish his seven big-league seasons with the Yankees.
“Getting a chance to wear the pinstripes and play right field at Yankee Stadium, that’s an incredible honour,” Judge said. “I definitely didn’t take it for granted at any point. I always checked myself pregame when I’d say a little prayer, I’d kind of look around the stadium and pinch myself.”
“There’s very few individuals who get a chance to run on that field and play in front of the fans.”
Judge will undoubtedly be highly sought after if – and when – he reaches the open market this off-season. Yankees GM Brian Cashman will surely do everything possible to re-sign the 2022 AL MVP front-runner, but that’ll likely be easier said than done.
The four-time All-Star bet on himself heading into this season and enjoyed the best statistical performance of his career. He led the majors in home runs (62), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), wRC+ (207) and fWAR (11.5).
Most importantly, Judge avoided any serious injuries and posted career bests in plate appearances (696) and games played (157). After struggling to stay healthy in previous seasons, he desperately needed to accomplish that feat during his age-30 season, and he did just that.
Manager Aaron Boone is hopeful that Judge will return next season, but if the Yankees aren’t willing to pay top dollar, another franchise will likely do so.
“Hopefully, we’ll see him in pinstripes for a long time,” Boone said regarding Judge’s impending free agency. “I don’t even want to think about the alternative right now.”
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Arturo Pardavila. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.