Yankees may have trump card to play in Aaron Judge’s free agency

The Yankees have one thing to offer Aaron Judge that no other team does. The ability to be the franchise’s 16th captain could be New York’s trump card. 

Any team interested in landing Aaron Judge in free agency this offseason must be willing to offer him a lucrative, long-term contract. The Yankees are certainly up for that challenge. The more interesting fact about the Yankees’ willingness to re-sign Judge comes with the news that Hal Steinbrenner is open to making him the team’s captain.

That massive honor could turn the free agency tables in New York’s favor. The Yankees haven’t had a captain since Derek Jeter’s retirement in 2014. Judge is unquestionably the face of the franchise, but putting the “C” on his chest would elevate his status to another historical level.

The title of captain is huge for Yankees and could be for Aaron Judge, too

Steinbrenner didn’t guarantee the captaincy to Judge if he re-signs in his most recent interview on the YES Network, but it’s foolish to think his public acknowledgment of the possibility wasn’t a calculated decision by the team’s owner.

The higher-ups in the Bronx understand that the fan base will be outraged if Judge isn’t retained. Publicly letting everyone know that the team’s captaincy is on the negotiating table is a clear effort by Steinbrenner to let the fan base know that everything possible is being done to secure the All-Star slugger.

Of course, the captaincy may not matter if New York isn’t willing to match the financial terms offered by competitors. The San Fransico Giants are widely considered to be the team’s main competition in free agency. Judge is expected to receive a long-term deal that could pay him over $300 million in total.

The Yankees have shown increased financial restraint in recent years, but fans aren’t going to understand if luxury tax concerns cost the team their biggest star. This isn’t a free agency race the franchise can afford to lose. That’s why the Yankees are already putting the captaincy trump card on the table.