Brian Cashman suggests Yankees don't care about any other free agents not named Aaron Judge
The New York Yankees knew they would have a tough time re-signing Aaron Judge if he entered free agency. Once he began putting up MVP numbers and eventually won the award with ease, that became even more true.
Free agency is well underway, and the Yankees are in a true battle with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and potentially other teams for his services for 2023 and well beyond.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman, as well as the front office as a whole, have never been shy about wanting to re-sign him. Now, the newly exended GM has admitted that Judge is the only priority.
Brian Cashman: "Listen, if Aaron Judge signs somewhere else, do we pivot and do something else? Do we remake ourselves completely? I have no idea. It's not what we want to do."
According to Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch, Cashman said:
"Listen, if Aaron Judge signs somewhere else, do we pivot and do something else? Do we remake ourselves completely? I have no idea. It's not what we want to do."
Clearly, he is the entire focus for the Yankees. They're not considering any other free agents until the AL MVP's decision has been made. That could backfire on them, as big names are coming off the market every day now, but it shows their dedication to the player.
If Judge signs elsewhere, it would likely be catastrophic. As Cashman said, they don't have a true plan for the unthinkable scenario where the tall right fielder isn't in pinstripes.
With big names like Trea Turner, Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander already signed with new teams, the Yankees are running out of high-profile free agents to look at in the case of the star not re-signing.
For their sake, a decision sooner rather than later would be better.
Who is going to sign Aaron Judge?
The outfielder's prospects have been the biggest news this offseason. Every MLB reporter has made some conjecture about where he'll end up or stated what the feeling was, but the entire situation has been devoid of any tangible progress thus far.
Many believe he'll end up back in New York. Despite the proximity to his hometown that the Giants boast, the Yankees are probably the best team for him.
Still, it's nerve-wracking for fans of either team as the unknown plays out before them. Apparently, it's a bit nerve-wracking for the Yankees themselves.