The New York Yankees have made an unprecedented financial commitment to ensure reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge will finish his career in pinstripes. The free agent outfielder, who hit an AL-record 62 home runs last season has agreed to re-sign with the Yankees for a nine-year deal worth $360 million, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the contract.
The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized and Judge needs to pass a physical.
Judge’s $360 million contract is the largest by a free agent in baseball history, topping Francisco Lindor’s $341 million deal with the New York Mets.
The Yankees won what was essentially a two-team competition for Judge’s services, with the San Francisco Giants also in the running. In the end, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was able to get the deal done.
Judge, 30, bet on himself last offseason, rejecting a multiyear contract offer from the Yankees in his final year before becoming eligible for free agency. He then proceeded to have one of the greatest contract-year performances in history — hitting .311 with 133 runs scored and 131 RBI — and breaking Roger Maris’ AL home run record that had stood for 61 years.
FREE AGENT RANKINGS: Top players on the market, where they’ve signed
NEVER MISS A MOMENT: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter now
In seven seasons with the Yankees, Judge has blasted a total of 220 home runs while also showing a keen eye at the plate, as evidenced by his .394 on-base percentage. This past season, he showed his defensive versatility by filling a major void and playing a career-high 78 games in center field. Not surprisingly, Judge led all major leaguers with 10.6 Wins Above Replacement.
It all added up to Judge being the overwhelming choice for AL MVP. He received 28 of the 30 first-place votes in easily outdistancing two-way star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.
Contributing: Bob Nightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Judge re-signs with New York Yankees for 9 years, $360 million