"Yankees superstar Aaron Judge won the bet on himself, and won big" - MLB insider claims star slugger's refusal to accept Yankees monstrous contract paid big time
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge placed a huge bet on himself at the start of the season, and he seems to have won big.
"Judge bet on himself, and he appears to be winning that bet."
@Ken_Rosenthal talks about Aaron Judge's star power & how it could lead to a huge contract this offseason ⬇️ https://t.co/GCXnTh0njS
"Judge bet on himself, and he appears to be winning that bet." @Ken_Rosenthal talks about Aaron Judge's star power & how it could lead to a huge contract this offseason" - Fox Sports:MLB, Twitter
With free agency looming after the season, Aaron rejected a blockbuster, seven-year extension with the New York Yankees on a whopping $213.5-million contract. While it was far lower than what he expected, it would still have ranked him very high on the richest MLB deals of all time.
In the spring, Judge was seeking to be on par with Mike Trout’s $36 million annual salary. Some even suggested that he could surpass Trout’s record deal. While that may seem highly unlikely, the $300 million mark isn’t too far away.
“He certainly will clear $300 million mark. But is he closer to $400 million than $300 million? Maybe.” one rival executive said. “He’s that important to the wealthiest team.”
But now, the stellar outfielder is weeks away from free agency after setting an American League record with 62 home runs and tying for the major league lead with 131 RBIs. He also finished with a .311 batting average. With stats like these, it looks like the "Bronx Bombers" will pay whatever it takes to retain their star slugger.
"The @Yankees were fired up for Aaron Judge’s 62nd homer! #AllRise" - MLB, Instagram
Brian Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, also acknowledged Judge’s fabulous 2022 season, exclaiming that he exceeded expectations. Judge is a valuable asset to the Yankees, and Cashman wouldn’t want it any other way.
“He bet on himself, and it’s the all-time best bet.” -Brian Cashman on Aaron Judge https://t.co/es3vSR3sCl
"“He bet on himself, and it’s the all-time best bet.” -Brian Cashman on Aaron Judge" - Talkin Yanks, Twitter
"There's a pot of gold there. It's yet to be determined what the gold is, how much it weighs, but it's a pot of gold, there's no question about it. Very good for him. It was already a big pot, and obviously, it's going to be even bigger," Brian Cashman said.
Aaron Judge's explosive MLB Career
Aaron Judge's career in the MLB so far has been nothing short of a dream.
The Yankees picked Judge in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2016 and hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. His first full season went on to become a record-breaking one.
"What an incredible experience these past couple of days have been! Thank you to all my friends and family for supporting me through this journey! All glory to God!" - Aaron Judge, Instagram
He was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finished second in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award that year.
In 2022, Judge surpassed the AL record for most home runs in a season, breaking Roger Maris’ 61-year-old record.
What a night. Such a blessing from God to share that moment with so many special people! Thank you @RogerMarisJr, the Yankees, my teammates, my family and all the Yankee fans for such an incredible day! https://t.co/soiC52sOth
"What a night. Such a blessing from God to share that moment with so many special people! Thank you @RogerMarisJr, the Yankees, my teammates, my family and all the Yankee fans for such an incredible day!" - Aaron Judge, Twitter
Aaron looks like he is only getting started, and he has all the qualities to scale the heights of the MLB and become a great player.