History doesn’t bode well for Yankees with Aaron Judge
By Rylie Smith
Slugger Aaron Judge is the hottest commodity on the market this offseason, and history suggests the New York Yankees may not keep him around.
The New York Yankees are reportedly wasting no time as they try to keep slugger Aaron Judge around another season, offering him around $300 million for eight years. While that is one of the biggest offers, other teams, particularly the San Francisco Giants, are expected to drive a hard bargain for the star.
However, MLB history doesn’t bode well for free agents staying with their team. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, “The last time the highest-paid free agent remained with his current team was Yoenis Cespedes with the Mets in 2016. And before that, it was Matt Holliday in 2009.”
While the Yankees certainly do have the money to pay Judge and it’s possible they’ll keep him around, it doesn’t seem promising as an extensive list of free agents have switched teams. For notable players such as Corey Seager, George Springer, Gerrit Cole, Bryce Harper, Eric Hosmer, David Price, Max Scherzer, Robinson Cano, Zack Greinke, Albert Pujols and Carl Crawford, familiarity didn’t matter in the end.
The Giants look to continue that trend.
Giants and Yankees fight over Aaron Judge
The Giants have made it well-known that if they lose out on Judge this offseason, it won’t be because of money.
Giants head of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi, prominently linked to Aaron Judge: "I think from a financial standpoint there’s nobody that would be out of our capability. And then it’ll just be a question of whether there’s mutual interest."
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 10, 2022
They’re also playing on his emotional ties to San Francisco, as Judge was born and raised in northern California and grew up a Giants fan. He certainly seems interested in hearing what they have to offer, at the very least.
He seems to have a good relationship with the Yankees, so there is still a solid chance he stays there. However, based on what he’s predicted to make, New York may have to up their offer by quite a bit to compete on the market.
According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, agent Leigh Steinberg thinks that Judge could go for as much as $500 million over a 10-year deal. This would be monumental, and feels unlikely, but it shows what the expectation is of Judge in the free-agent market.
Teams are competitive for stars once they hit the market, as history shows, and most players will go where the money is.
MLB Winter Meetings: 5 bold predictions for baseball’s offseason showcase. dark. Next