Aaron Judge Wants to Stay with Yankees 'For a Long Time' amid Contract Talks
July 18, 2022
Aaron Judge is set to become a free agent after the season, but he said he wants to remain with the New York Yankees:
Yankees Videos @snyyankees"The money, the contract has never been why I play this game. I want to play for the Yankees and be here for a long time. If it works out, it works out - if it doesn't, it doesn't."<br><br>Aaron Judge with his feelings on extension talks: <a href="https://t.co/66i62eWLPj">pic.twitter.com/66i62eWLPj</a>
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in April the team offered Judge a seven-year extension worth $213.5 million, which was rejected.
The outfielder could cost even more to sign this offseason after an impressive start to the 2022 season. Judge heads into the All-Star break with a major league-leading 33 home runs to go with a .284 average and 70 RBI.
It's helped the Yankees produce the best record in baseball at 64-28.
Now seven years into his MLB career, Judge has four All-Star selections and has twice finished in the top five of MVP voting. He is looking to lead the league in home runs for the second time, and he is averaging 47 home runs per 162 games in his career.
After dealing with injuries earlier in his career, Judge has also proved he can stay healthy in recent seasons. He appeared in 148 games in 2021 and has only missed three games so far in 2022.
It will put him in high demand if he reaches the open market, but the 30-year-old has maintained that he wants to stay in New York.
"I'm just disappointed because I've been vocal that I want to be a Yankee for life," Judge told reporters after failed negotiations in April.
The Yankees will have their chance to sign Judge, but it's clear it will take a larger offer to get it done.