Many eyebrows raised back in April when New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed publicly that Aaron Judge had rejected a contract extension offer worth $213.5 million over seven seasons.
Not only did the deal (which equates to $30.5 million annually) seem reasonable for an immensely talented player nearing his 30th birthday with a track record of injuries in recent years. It also was jarring to hear Cashman candidly share such details, potentially souring the organization's relationship with Judge months before the All-Star outfielder could reach Major League Baseball free agency.
Judge opted to gamble on himself, though. And ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan on Wednesday shared an interesting anecdote of an interaction Judge had with Yankees teammate Anthony Rizzo after turning down the offer.
Here's what Passan wrote for ESPN.com:
On that April day, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman went public with details of the offer, peeving Judge. Rizzo, with whom he has grown close in a short time, inquired about it soon thereafter. Judge's response still sticks with him today.
"You don't think I'm worth more?"
To say Judge played his cards right would be an understatement. Now, despite the Yankees' embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series, the hulking slugger stands to command a lot more money on the open market. A $300 million payday seems like a reasonable starting point in negotiations, which could include deep-pocketed franchises like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants in addition to the Yankees.
Clearly, Judge was confident in his ability to stay both healthy and productive, even if some wondered back in April whether he'd soon regret turning down such a lucrative overture. And while the smart money is on the Yankees finding a way to re-sign Judge, it's definitely not a foregone conclusion as the sides embark upon a fascinating winter in the Bronx.
