Aaron Judge's free agent contract bet pays off
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Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Texas Rangers/Getty Images
Aaron Judge looks set to be a New York Yankee for life, agreeing to a nine-year, $360 million contract on Wednesday that will keep him in pinstripes through age 39.
Why it matters: It's the largest free agent contract in MLB history and the third-largest deal ever, trailing only the extensions signed by Mike Trout for $426.5 million and Mookie Betts for $365 million.
- At $40 million per year, it smashes Trout's record for $35.5 million for the largest average annual value ever among position players.
- Wild stat: 11 MLB players have ever signed $300+ million deals, and three of them are currently in the Bronx: Judge, Giancarlo Stanton at $325 million and Gerrit Cole at $324 million.
Context: Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension just eight months ago, then proceeded to win MVP and set the AL single-season HR record.
- The deal features a no-trade clause and came after a bidding war between the Yankees, Giants and Padres.
- San Francisco was a long-rumored destination, while San Diego reportedly swooped in late with a 10-year, $400 million offer.
The backdrop: New York took the six-foot-seven outfielder in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Fresno State. Four years later, Judge won Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting.
- His 220 home runs since debuting in 2016 are second only to Nolan Arenado's 229 in that time.
- After a historic 2022 season, it felt like the Yankees had to do whatever it took to keep their guy.
The big picture: This is a huge contract for someone who's on the wrong side of 30, has played 140+ games just three times, and whose enormous frame might not age well.
- But Judge is worth so much to the Yankees from both talent and marketing standpoints that it's tough to see this as anything but a huge win for both sides.
- Judge is expected to be named captain, which would make him the 16th in Yankees history and the first since Derek Jeter, who retired in 2014.
