New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge thanked fans after winning his AL MVP award. Is he on his way out, or is this a sign he’s coming back?
A social media post in itself is innocent enough. Despite the messaging that’s often behind these posts, fans and pundits alike can often read a little too much into them.
Yankees fans are no exception. With AL MVP Aaron Judge hitting the free-agent market, fans are looking for any hint as to his intentions this winter. Could a simple post thanking fans for their support actually be a hint that his time in New York is coming to an end?
The last line of Judge’s caption is the most important: “Thank you to the fans and the city of New York- it has been a privilege to earn this award in pinstripes.”
While Judge’s message is in the past tense, that’s technically appropriate given the season is over. It doesn’t mean he’s planning an early exit, though some will surely take it that way. Others, of course, think Judge’s caption is a sign he’s coming back. Which is it?
Did Yankees make an offer to Aaron Judge?
While impossible to verify, Dominican journalist Ramon Carmona reported that New York made its first offer to Aaron Judge this offseason. Per Carmona, the offer was worth $337 million, though the length of said deal is unknown.
By no means do I wish to shade Carmona, but he’s not exactly Jeff Passan or Ken Rosenthal, so it’s best to take any report with a grain of salt for now. However, if we’re operating under the assumption that Judge was offered $337 million, it leads us to wonder whether that offer would be accepted.
Judge reportedly wants more than $300 million — which he’s certainly earned after this season. One would assume that $337 million would at least be in the ballpark of what Judge’s team would expect.
Nonetheless, Judge is in no rush to agree to said contract, as he’ll likely have plenty of suitors this winter. The winter meetings have yet to take place, and contract talks will heat up at that time.