Anthony Rizzo discusses his relationship with Aaron Judge: "I hope Judge stays, just for the sake of the game"
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is loved by all, including his teammate, first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He has agreed to a two-year extension with the Yankees, with a club option for the following season, and he is not sure if Judge is going to do the same.
Rizzo is hopeful that Judge will stay on the team too. In a zoom interview call, he spoke about Judge, reports The New York Post and said:
“I hope Judge stays, just for the sake of the game, because you see a lot of franchise icons not getting what they deserve the team that they have done so much for.”
In a two-year, $32 million contract with an opt-out after the first year, Rizzo joined the New York Mets for the 2022 season after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline.
Anthony Rizzo is re-signing with the Yankees on a multi-year deal, source tells @TheAthletic.
"Anthony Rizzo is re-signing with the Yankees on a multi-year deal, source tells @TheAthletic" – Ken Rosenthal
He chose to forego the second year and became a free agent.
Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo share a thick bond
Rizzo also spoke about his friendship with Judge and said that they will always remain friends even if Judge is not on the team.
“Obviously I want to be his teammate. We’ve become good friends on the field and off the field. We’ve really enjoyed playing with each other. But at the end of all of this, a friendship here or a friendship somewhere else, it’s still a friendship."
He added:
"It doesn’t mean you have to be on the same team to be friends. So wherever he’s at, I try to respect his privacy and his space and then let him come up with the decision on his own.”
Judge is currently a free agent and received a unanimous vote for American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017, while coming in second place for AL Most Valuable Player.
Squad 💙 https://t.co/Z391ZLUsme
"Squad" – New York Yankees
In 2022, he broke Roger Maris' 61-year record for the league's most home runs in a season by hitting 62 of them, receiving the AL Most Valuable Player Award in the process.
Anthony Rizzo has previously played for the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball. He's been an All-Star three times and frequently makes it to the finals for the Heart and Hustle award thanks to his charitable endeavors.