Aaron Judge answered baseball’s burning offseason question on Wednesday and agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract staying with the New York Yankees, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The 30-year-old Judge came to free agency after one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, hitting an American League record with 62 home runs to break the mark set by Roger Maris in 1961. .686 with an AL-leading 131 RBIs.
Judge’s historic season came after the outfielder failed to secure a contract extension with the Yankees before opening day. General Manager Brian Cashman publicly announced that the team’s most recent renewal offer was seven years and $213.5 million.
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After the season, team owner Hal Steinbrenner said he wanted Judge to become a Yankee for life and met with the Slugger in Tampa, Fla. to discuss a contract.
During baseball’s winter meetings in San Diego, Cashman, who signed a four-year extension with the Yankees, said the team had prioritized Judge’s re-signing but would not set a timeline for his decision.
“We would love to have our player back,” Cashman said on Monday. “We’d love to continue to call him our player every step of the way as he follows what looks like – as long as nothing happens – a career path that will take him to Cooperstown. I want him to wear pinstripes every step of the way.”
Biggest contracts in MLB history
| player | team | value | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Trout | LAA | $426.5 million | 12 |
| Mookie Betts | BOY | $365 million | 12 |
| Aaron Richter | NYY | $360 million | 9 |
| Francisco Lindor | NYM | $341 million | 10 |
Born in Linden, California, the 6-foot-7 outfielder attended Linden High School and later Fresno State before being drafted by the Yankees in 2013 with the 32nd pick overall. In 2017, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award after hitting a then-rookie-record 52 home runs — a total he wouldn’t surpass until his 2022 record-breaking campaign.
Judge, a four-time All-Star, has 220 home runs and 497 RBIs in seven big league seasons.
MLB Network was the first to report that Judge would re-sign with the Yankees, while The Athletic was first to report the terms of the agreement.