Aaron Judge on his future: I’m a free agent, we’ll see what happens
Aaron Judge was the New York Yankees’ flagship player during the 2022 MLB season, but his future is uncertain as he is set to become a free agent.
The season of the New York Yankees ended with Aaron Judge and a ground ball with which the Houston Astros secured their third participation in the World Series in the last four years.
Judge was the Yankees’ flagship player during the 2022 MLB season, but his future is uncertain as he will be a free agent for the first time in his career after not coming to a long-term agreement with the franchise.
After their last game game, ‘The Judge’ declared that it had been an honor to wear the ‘Bronx Bombers’ shirt and that he wanted to stay with the New York franchise, but he doesn’t know what will happen to his future.
An honor to play with the Yankees
“I've been clear from the first time I put this uniform on, but we couldn't come to an agreement during spring training. I'm a free agent, we'll see what happens”, said 'El Juez' about continuing with the Yankees.
“To be able to wear this uniform and play right field at Yankee Stadium is an incredible honor. I never took it for granted at any time. […] Very few individuals have the opportunity to run on that field and play in front of the fans”.
Judge appeared in 157 of the Yankees' 162 regular-season games and posted .311/.425/.686 batting averages after connecting with 177 hits, driving in 1,311 runs in 696 plate appearances. In addition, the outfielder for the ‘Manhattan Mules’ set the record for home runs in the history of the franchise and the American League by accumulating 62. The previous record was 61 and belonged to Roger Maris.
Possible destinations
In addition to staying in New York with the Yankees, there is a possibility that the Mets will be willing to pay the high salary Judge is seeking. Prior to the start of the 2022 campaign, the player turned down an offer of seven years and 213.5 million dollars.
Two other options are the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 30-year-old was born in Linden, California, and being close to home could be an important factor for him as he chooses his next team.