After a week of high-stakes drama, the Yankees and Aaron Judge agreed to a record nine-year, $360 million contract (the biggest ever for a position player) with a full no-trade clause. In short, Judge is set to be a “Yankee for life,” exactly as he’d hoped.
Wise move, on both sides. Judge has flourished in The Bronx, becoming AL MVP, league home-run-record holder and a near-Triple Crown winner.
He’d become the face of the team and a part of the city’s fabric; Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner was entirely right to publicly make retaining Judge a priority, even as the Giants and Padres upped the bidding.
Now the team has kept its homegrown star, a charismatic performer who neatly fits the role left by Derek Jeter’s 2014 retirement. Indeed, Judge is now expected to become the first Yankees captain since then — joining the rarified ranks of Jeter, Mattingly, Munson, Gehrig and Ruth.
No single star is enough to guarantee a winning record, let alone postseason triumphs, but the Yanks have now locked down a key component of a future that can match the franchise’s history of excellence.
Pitchers and catchers: Feb. 14!
