The Yankees and AL MVP Aaron Judge have agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Wednesday.
The Padres came in with a significant offer to Judge on Tuesday, per a source, but the slugger opted to return to the Yankees.
Judge was in an enviable position as he entered free agency for the first time, having exceeded all expectations after turning down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension before the season.
It was, as Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called it, “the all-time best bet.” Judge responded with a season for the ages, batting .311/.425/.686 in 157 games while leading the Majors in homers (62), runs (133), RBIs (131), slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS+ (211) and total bases (391).
Judge’s chase to shatter Roger Maris’ 61-year-old AL record for home runs in a single season captivated the sports world for weeks, culminating with a 62nd home run in the second game of an Oct. 4 doubleheader at Texas. Judge is the fourth player in AL/NL history to hit 62 or more homers in a single season, joining Barry Bonds (73 in 2001), Mark McGwire (70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001 and 63 in 1999).
“Whatever he gets is going to be astronomical, and he deserves it,” said first baseman Anthony Rizzo. “He bet on himself on the biggest stage, in the biggest market, and did it with ease. He should be rewarded as the highest-paid player in the game. He’s the new gold standard, in my opinion.”
Yet the postseason did not go well for Judge, and manager Aaron Boone suggested that the home run chase may have been a factor. In nine postseason games, Judge hit .139 (5-for-36) with two homers and three RBIs. He was 1-for-16 in Houston’s four-game AL Championship Series sweep. After the Yankees’ postseason elimination, Judge was asked if he still hoped to stay in New York.
“I’ve been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes,” Judge said that night. “But we couldn’t get something done before Spring Training, and now I’m a free agent. We’ll see what happens.”
A product of Linden, Calif., who grew up rooting for the San Francisco Giants (his favorite player was not Bonds, but infielder Rich Aurilia), Judge has spent his entire career to date in Yankees pinstripes, having been selected in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft from Fresno State University in California.
The 6-foot-7, 282-pound slugger homered in his first big league at-bat in August 2016, then went on to be named the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year and runner-up for the AL’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2017 , helping lead the Bombers to the postseason with a 52-homer performance.
Judge, who will turn 31 in April, has quieted critics who wondered about his durability. Injuries limited Judge to 242 of a possible 384 games from 2018-20 (63%) before he played in 148 and 157 games over the next two seasons, respectively.
His 11.99 AB/HR ratio is the third best in Major League history, behind only McGwire (10.61) and Babe Ruth (11.76). A four-time AL All-Star (’17, ’18, ’21 and ’22), Judge won Silver Slugger Awards in 2017, ’21 and ’22, and before winning the AL MVP Award in ’22, he received MVP votes in ’17, ’18 and ’21.
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