The future of Aaron Judge is up in the air. To what extent Aaron Boone’s is, however, is still up in the air. Sunday night’s 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros, who swept the American League Championship Series after the Yankees’ defense collapsed for the fourth straight game, could have been Judge’s last in pinstripes.
Speaking candidly in the Yankees clubhouse, Judge said, “It’s a beautiful pleasure to wear the pinstripes and play right field at Yankee Stadium. My pregame ritual consists of a quick self-examination, a prayer, a glance around the stadium, and a pinch.
And I’ve had the privilege of playing in front of the supporters who have stuck by us for all six of my years here, which is something very few people ever get to do, he said. So it was an unforgettable experience, and I still regret not winning the championship on their behalf.
Just before the season began, Judge declined a seven-year contract worth $213.5 million between 2023 and 2029 so that he could test the free agency waters after the World Series.
He had a.311 batting average and 62 home runs, both American League records. He also tied for the major league lead in RBIs with 131. However, he struggled mightily in the playoffs, hitting just.139 with three RBIs and 15 strikeouts, including a.063/1-for-16 performance against the Astros. With a comebacker, he got the final out.
That’s just baseball, dude. Boone added that the greatest of greats go through a battle all the time; it’s a fact of life. The goal of the game is to lose. There will be both good times and bad for you.
Judge deserves a large reward for taking a chance on himself by being able to negotiate with all clubs beginning on the sixth day after the World Series. The $300 million mark might be within the question for a contract offer to him.
All of that has to go via my agency. First, he replied. I need to figure out where to go from here. However, as I’ve already mentioned, we have time to work it out.
-->In October, Boone signed a three-year deal with a team option for 2025. The New York Yankees, in manager Joe Girardi’s fifth season, had a 61-23 record as of early July. The Yankees went 38-40 the remainder of the way despite being plagued by ailments.
