There are 70 games left on the Yankees’ schedule, plus whatever postseason action the team sees.
Will that be the remainder of Aaron Judge’s tenure in the Bronx? Not if he can help it.
“I want to play for the Yankees. I want to be here for a long time,” Judge said Monday during All-Star media availability. “If it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s out of my hands. I can’t really control that kind of stuff.”
Judge and the Yankees failed to reach agreement on a contract extension prior to Opening Day, and almost failed to come to terms on an arbitration salary until agreeing on a $19 million salary (the midpoint of their two proposals) with bonuses right as the hearing was set to begin.
The outfielder took a big gamble on himself turning down the Yankees’ offer that was virtually $233.5 million for eight years (including 2022), but even if he lost that gamble, he’d have been okay with it.
“I don’t live in fear. Money’s never been the reason why I play this game. I play this game because I love it and God gave me the gift to be here, so I never want to take that for granted,” Judge said. “This is a gift that I have, I try to go out there and have fun and use this gift to the best of my ability, and everything else will take care of itself. That’s why I got agents. That’s why I got family supporting me, helping me make the right decisions.”
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Of course, Judge leads MLB with 33 home runs, 74 runs scored, and 209 total bases also lead the majors, so he’s had no problem putting his contract situation aside.
For me, it’s just been about focusing on the game and playing the game, and when I’m a free agent and we decide where we go, we’ll figure all that out later,” he said.
Now, the only question is where later will be played, especially in light of the Nationals now seemingly shopping Juan Soto – but Judge will worry about the next four months for the next four months, and go from there.
“Ultimately, all that stuff will get taken care of, if it’s in New York or if it’s not in New York,” he said. “It’s nothing for me to worry about or front about. It’s gonna handle itself.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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