Aaron Judge’s 63rd home run was his bargaining style in San Diego.
Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million offer in the spring, set an American League record with 62 home runs, and departed for his offseason vacation with a nine-year, $350 million deal to remain a Yankee.
Judge’s largest tape-measure distance — an additional two years and $146.5 million — resulted from his might, self-confidence, and stoicism.
This began with the Yankees doubting that their finest player would go, feeling that he was more important to them than they were to him. It concluded with them as a Judge petitioner. Their late proposals followed a pattern with which Judge was acquainted: All Rise.
Hal Steinbrenner determined that he needed Judge for his roster, his television network, his attendance, his marketing, and — perhaps most importantly — for his reputation in the face of rising criticism and jeers.
Judge maintained a poker face at all times. He followed the conventional script on his desire to be a lifelong Yankee, but never wavered in his belief in his own value. He made it obvious he did not appreciate the public nature of the spring extension offer. He did little to quell rumors of his early love of the Giants. He made it obvious that free agency afforded him earned opportunities.
Judge is re-signing with the Yankees for nine years and $360 million.
Moreover, unlike Derek Jeter, Judge communicated with other organizations. He challenged the Giants then, late in the game, the Padres. The Yankees anticipated that the Padres would sign a 10-year, $400 million contract. They assumed the Giants would match any offer they received at any moment. Most importantly, whether or not any of that was true, Judge convinced the Yankees that he would accept an offer from another team.
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Steinbrenner, who was on vacation in Italy, remained in constant touch with Judge, who concluded the transaction on Tuesday after travelling to San Diego. The Yankees owner could not conceive of his lineup without Judge, nor could his daily existence adequately explain it.
And in this manner was this journey traversed:
Hal Steinbrenner will be in the dugout on September 9, 2022, when the Yankees celebrate Derek Jeter’s entrance into the Hall of Fame.
In the spring, when they perceived they had the upper hand, the Yankees played the incremental game of offering a per-annum salary of $30.5 million that inched above Mookie Betts’ $30.42 million for the second-best among outfielders, well below the $35.54 positional record of Mike Trout that Judge indicated he wanted.
Judge actually committed to somewhat less than Betts on December 7, 2022, in terms of his entire Dodgers deal of $365 million. Judge’s $40 million per year is far greater than Trout’s yearly worth. It was a grand slam for Judge. No. 63. He went from being questioned about the logic of spurning so much guaranteed money on the edge of the 2022 season to the greatest winning bet in the history of the sport. Regardless of what the Padres or Giants were ready to provide, Judge was able to remain a Yankee on his terms, regardless of what the Padres or Giants were willing to do.
What did they receive?
An interim reprieve. Steinbrenner was booed last season during a Derek Jeter tribute and looked like Mike Tyson versus Buster Douglas – shocked by the punches. The criticism only increased for the boss and the organization with a dismal second half and, eventually, a four-game flameout in the ALCS against the Astros. Judge lifted the Yankees in the second half with a 1.286% OPS, while the rest of a struggling club combined for a.652 mark. He was the focus of the crowd’s cheers (until the ALCS) and the Yankees’ marketing efforts.
This combination appeared irreplaceable to the Yankees’ check writer. Could the Yankees have substituted Judge with a combination of, say, Carlos Correa and Brandon Nimmo? Sure. However, it would have cost more overall, and the Yankees understood Judge worked with their team and fans.
On October 4, 2022, Aaron Judge hits his 62nd home run of the season against the Rangers.
But that is now. He will play next year beginning at 31, and precisely how many of the 1,458 regular-season games for which he is contracted will Judge play? How many will he play at the level of a star? Judge wagered on himself, and now the Yankees are wagering that Judge’s family riches will not alter his objectives. They require Judge to maintain the same level of commitment to his training and trade that he has demonstrated to date. They require him to remain healthy and an MVP-caliber player until at least the mid-30s, if not beyond.
This team is the New York Yankees, therefore there is still sufficient financial capacity to chase further players, especially if Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Anthony Volpe are to be given important roles. They seek a left fielder (a reunion with the lefty contact bat of Andrew Benintendi is their desire) and to add to their rotation (they are attracted to the high-end talent of Carlos Rodon) (they are attracted to the high-end stuff of Carlos Rodon).
If they feel DJ LeMahieu is healthy, which they may have a better notion of by next month, it becomes more likely that they will trade Gleyber Torres and/or Isiah Kiner-Falefa in an effort to strengthen their pitching in particular.
But now that they have retained Judge, they believe it will be simpler to develop around him in the medium run. When the years 2030 and 2031 approach, they will be anxious. Those are two seasons that the Yankees did not include in their spring extension offer. However, Judge blasted 62 home runs and persuaded the Yankees that he may be leaving, leaving, leaving.
Appropriately, his 63rd home run caused the Yankees to spend far more money than they had anticipated.
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