Report: Aaron Judge To Stay With Yankees

Media sources have told ESPN that the biggest chip on the Major League Baseball free agent market this offseason is staying in New York.

Sources say that free agent outfielder Aaron Judge (pictured above) will remain with the New York Yankees on a nine-year deal worth $360 million, meaning that he will average $40 million a season through 2032.

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Judge, who will turn 31 next April had one of the best seasons individual seasons in baseball history in 2022.  He hit an American League record 62 home runs with a .311 batting average, 131 RBI and 133 runs scored.

Because of those numbers, he was named the American League's Most Valuable Player last month.  He also made the American League All-Star team for the fourth time in his 6+ year career.

However, he struggled in the 2022 MLB Playoffs.  He only hit .139 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI in nine games played.  He also struck out 15 times.  Which has been a major problem throughout his career.  And while the Yankees beat Cleveland in the Al Division Series, they were swept in four straight games by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.

Judge was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finished 2nd in the AL Most Valuable Player voting behind Houston's Jose Altuve.

With Judge becoming a free agent this offseason, the Yankees reportedly offered Judge a seven year deal worth over $200 million last offseason.  Which Judge turned down in hopes of getting more money this offseason.

With Judge now signed, he'll be the cornerstone for the Yankees to build around for the next decade or so.  And there have even been rumors that Judge could be named team captain (like Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter before him) at some point in the future.