New York Yankees

Aaron Judge Plays Coy About MLB Free Agency Plans After Yankees' Season Ends

The Yankees' star slugger is set to hit free agency once the offseason begins

Judge plays coy about future plans after Yankees' season ends originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO -- From the moment he turned down a lucrative contract extension through the swing that sent a 62nd homer sailing over the wall, Aaron Judge spent the 2022 MLB season in the spotlight. That was the case on Sunday night, too. 

Judge, appropriately, was at the plate for the final at-bat of the American League Championship Series, but he grounded out to clinch a four-game sweep for the Houston Astros. Afterward, the focus shifted. 

The end of New York's season means the end of their contractual control over Judge, who now will hit free agency for the first time. It will be the story of the offseason, but the likely American League MVP didn't stoke any flames on Sunday. 

Asked by reporters at Yankee Stadium if his goal was to remain a Yankee, Judge left the door open for all sides.

"Yeah, I've been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes, but we couldn't get something done before spring training," Judge said. "And now I'm a free agent and we'll see what happens."

After one of the most pressure-packed seasons for a player in MLB history, Judge will now have some time to decompress.

The offseason does not officially begin until five days after the World Series ends, although the Astros have certainly acted like a club that could bring this season to a close as quickly as possible. They're 7-0 this October heading into Friday's Game 1 of the World Series against the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies.

The last four wins came against a Yankees team that leaned heavily on Judge all season long and watched him deliver at every turn -- until a relatively quiet postseason. Following one of the best walk years the game has ever seen, Judge struggled in the ALDS and then went 1-for-16 in the ALCS.

That won't do anything to dampen the pursuit this offseason, though. The 30-year-old posted a 1.111 OPS, hit 62 homers and drove in 131 runs during the regular season while playing strong defense. It's likely that every big-market team checks in on him over the coming weeks, and the Giants will be at the front of the line.

In search of an offensive leader and a face of the franchise, the Giants have made no secret of the fact that Judge is firmly on their radar. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi repeatedly has talked of how the franchise has the flexibility to go big this offseason, and chairman Greg Johnson said last month that the Giants were well aware of "the person who can hit in the Bronx that is out there."

The expectation within the industry is that the Giants will likely be the first choice for Judge, who grew up in nearby Linden, if he leaves the Yankees. But right now, you won't find many around the game who see the sport's most storied franchise letting someone like Judge get away. 

"It was just an incredible season, and (he's) someone that I've grown close with and just admire and respect," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. "Hopefully we'll see him in pinstripes for a long time. I don't even want to think about the alternative right now."

The Yankees could have guaranteed that seven months ago, but Judge turned down a spring offer that would have been worth $213.5 million over the next seven seasons. He bet on himself, and he will end up winning. No matter where the bidding ends, Judge will end up well past that number, which has been the norm for him in 2022.

The whole sport watched Judge all summer and now will do the same all offseason as he decides if he wants to return to the Yankees, come home to the Giants, or choose a different path altogether. 

If there is a preference, Judge didn't give it away on Sunday. He said he hadn't thought about what comes next. 

"Not at all," he said. "Not yet. Not yet. I've got plenty of time to figure that out."

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