NEW YORK — It was the gamble of a lifetime for Aaron Judge, turning down a substantial Opening Day contract extension, then posting a historic season that set a new single-season American League record with 62 homers while leading the Yankees to the postseason.

General manager Brian Cashman was on the other side of those negotiations, unable to convince Judge and his camp to agree to a pact that would have been worth $213.5 million over seven years. After a year that likely will end with Judge winning the AL’s Most Valuable Player Award, Cashman knows that the price has gone up.

“He’s a great player who bet on himself. It’s the all-time best bet,” Cashman said. “The way he navigated the season; he was healthy, and you know what he’s capable of when he’s healthy. He’s always put up huge numbers when he stays healthy, and now he’s stayed healthy for a number of years. It was a remarkable accomplishment; it was very special to watch.”

Judge led the Majors in runs (133), homers (62), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), OPS+ (211) and total bases (391), pacing the AL with 111 walks. His .311 batting average was second in the American League behind the Twins’ Luis Arraez (.316), leaving him just shy of a Triple Crown.