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The New York Yankees and superstar outfielder Aaron Judge failed to come to an agreement on a new contract before the slugger's self-imposed deadline of Opening Day. As such, Judge can become a free agent following the season, though Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that the club will still try to re-sign the talented outfielder following the season. During a radio appearance on WFAN, Cashman said that Judge never asked for a nine-year deal, a request that was the subject of speculation. However, the most interesting comments from Cashman came when he revealed what Judge told him during the contract talks, as reported by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Cashman declined to say if Aaron Judge asked for a nine-year deal.
“The one thing that Aaron Judge has been willing to share is the intent of wanting to be here for life,” Cashman said on WFAN.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) April 11, 2022
Cashman said that Judge told him he wanted to be with the Yankees “for life.” It's not a new desire being expressed by the star outfielder, who has said in the past that he wants to be with New York for 10 years.
However, it's noteworthy that it was reiterated again by Judge during contract talks. While the talented outfielder and the club couldn't match numbers ahead of the 2022 season, there's still hope that a deal could be agreed upon following the season if he still feels this way towards Cashman and the Yanks.
Of course, Judge, who is coming off of his best season since that breakout 2017 campaign, could force the Yankees' hand by putting together an MVP-like season.
It would be hard to see the Yankees letting him walk in free agency if he puts up 2017-like numbers. It would also be hard to envision Judge walking out the door if he truly wants to be a Yankee for life.
