Aaron Judge used Giants to make the Yankees sweat with ultimate decoys
By Rylie Smith
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge played the free agency market hard this offseason, ultimately making fans in The Bronx nervous thanks to the Giants.
The New York Yankees had one of the most nerve-wracking moments this offseason as they were in a position to lose Aaron Judge, if they weren’t careful. Judge deployed a smart strategy in meeting with the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, only to reveal in the end that he wants to stay with the Yankees, but he’s just seeking a nine-year deal (per multiple insiders).
More telling details are arising after the signing. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the video of Judge arriving in San Francisco was staged.
One fun and ultimately irrelevant Judge detail: That TMZ style video of him arriving in SF a while back was staged. Between that, the Time article, the surprise trip to San Diego, he really made the Yankees sweat. A free agent process like no other I've seen or covered.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 7, 2022
It seems as though Judge was pretty open about his interactions with the Giants, seen as the biggest threat to sign him this offseason, in an attempt to show he’s serious about reaching the deal that he wants.
His game this offseason was definitely stressful for the Yankees, but it was extremely smart on his end. As a player who made so much history in 2022, he deserved a massive contract.
Did Aaron Judge use Giants as decoys to sign with Yankees?
The Yanks initially offered Judge an eight-year deal worth $300 million, but he knew he could get what he wanted, which was a nine-year deal. Money didn’t seem to be the biggest concern as he turned down a 10-year deal worth $400 million from the San Diego Padres while agreeing to nine years worth $360 million from New York.
While he definitely wouldn’t agree to a low-ball offer, his new contract in New York is the largest in MLB history, which shows he wasn’t offered anything minor. He wanted to stay with the Yankees for nine years, likely because he’s in his age 30 season and nine years would guarantee him a contract until his age 40.
While some may be skeptical of such a large contract because of his age, it shouldn’t be a point of concern yet as he’s consistently been an exceptional player and seems to just be reaching his fullest potential now.
The Yankees definitely need him if they want to continue working toward success, and Judge had a smart strategy in getting them to give him what he wants.
Next. 3 realistic Aaron Judge backup plans for the San Francisco Giants. dark