Aaron Judge Discusses Yankees Contract Talks, Potential Exit From New York

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge feels good about his situation heading into the final year of his contract.

Judge discussed his options after the 2022 season on R2C2:

"I've been lucky enough to play in the best organization out of all of them," Judge said, "so who wants to go anywhere else?"

Judge added that he would be "honored to wear pinstripes" for several more years if they work out an extension, although he would accept going elsewhere if he hits free agency.

"If it doesn't happen and this is my last year, I had a lot of great memories," Judge said of the Yankees.

The 29-year-old is coming off a huge 2021 season where he hit .287 with 39 home runs and 98 RBI, earning his third career All-Star selection while finishing fourth in voting for MVP. He also stayed relatively healthy while playing 148 games, a significant change after missing at least 30 games in each of the previous three seasons.

It should lead to a hefty new contract for Judge, whose .940 career OPS would rank second among active players with enough plate appearances to qualify, trailing only Mike Trout.

The Yankees are currently unable to negotiate with Judge because of the ongoing lockout, and the new collective bargaining agreement could have a major impact on the outfielder.

Recent proposals from MLB have featured a forfeiture of draft picks for teams that go over a salary threshold, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. 

With New York ranking third in the majors with a 2022 payroll of $211.2 million, the team might not want to add too much to the cost. It could force Judge to find a new home in 2023.