Aaron Judge Calls Signing New Yankees Contract in MLB Free Agency a 'No-Brainer'

Aaron Judge didn't have to think for too long when the New York Yankees finally met his asking price in free agency.

The reigning American League MVP was mic'd up for Wednesday's spring training game against the Washington Nationals. During the broadcast, he said the offseason was "stressful," but he "enjoyed the whole process." He added a return to the Yankees ultimately made the most sense and was a "no-brainer for me."

There's a part of Judge that might have seriously considered joining another team. He met with San Francisco Giants representatives and visited with the San Diego Padres at the eleventh hour.

But the 6'7" slugger certainly seemed to prefer staying in the Big Apple.

Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Bronx Bombers. That's less money—albeit with a larger average salary—than the Padres were reportedly prepared to offer (14 years, $400 million). The Giants reportedly put $360 million on the table as well, matching what he ultimately got from New York.

The biggest tell as to Judge's priorities centers around his seemingly clandestine trip to San Francisco in November.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, that was part of a carefully orchestrated plan to exert a little more pressure on the Yankees:

You have to hand it to Judge. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he not only engineered that outcome but also secured the bag while doing so.