It almost seems unthinkable given his standing as the unquestionable face of the franchise, but could Friday be Aaron Judge’s final Opening Day as a Yankee?
“You think about it,” Judge admitted after New York’s final spring training game on Tuesday. “But it comes down to, I’ve got games to win.”
Come Friday afternoon, Judge will trot out during roster introductions on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium as he has done every year since 2017, when he set the rookie home run record and won over a fanbase starved for a new leader since Derek Jeter’s retirement. Judge has responded by putting together three All-Star seasons, including last year, and has put himself in position for a big contract as he approaches what could be his first shot at free agency.
The Yankees, as they’ve said many times, don’t want it to come to that. Neither does Judge, who has expressed his desire to finish his career as a Yankee. But Judge, soon to turn 30, will be wanting his worth in what could be the only big contract of his career, and if he doesn’t get it from Brian Cashman and the Yanks, he will have to test those free agency waters.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported over the weekend that the two sides weren’t close to a deal in extension talks, which Judge has said he will stop addressing to the media once the season begins. As of Tuesday, he had no update.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Judge said.
Now, with Opening Day nearly here, Judge is turning his attention to more important matters: finally leading the Yanks to the championship many expected would arrive soon after Judge burst onto the scene as a rookie superstar five years ago.
“It’s been a while since Yankee fans have held a championship in the city,” Judge said. “I’ve got a job to do. To go out there and win it for them.”
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