The moment Aaron Judge placed a sizeable bet on himself by rejecting the Yankees’ preseason contract offer, it was clear that the slugger would become one of the league’s central storylines during the 2022 season.
Judge’s historic season has him in line for a huge contract, one many expect will exceed $300 million and establish a new record for average annual value for a position player, topping Mike Trout’s $35.5 million. Only nine players in history have signed deals worth $300 million, giving Judge a chance to join that exclusive club.
The $300 million question is: Which team will Judge be playing for in 2023 and beyond? Here’s a look at five possible landing spots for Judge:
Yankees
The Yankees offered Judge a seven-year, $213.5 million extension prior to the season, but the outfielder decided to bet on himself and play out his walk year. That bet has obviously paid off for Judge, whose monster year has him as a firm AL MVP frontrunner.
New York understands the value of star power, and there hasn’t been a bigger star in pinstripes since Derek Jeter retired eight years ago. It would be surprising to see the Yankees let Judge leave the Bronx, where fans continue to flock to see his powerful swing. If he signs a long-term deal to stay with the Yankees, Judge would also likely be named the team’s first captain since Jeter.
Giants
Ask almost anybody inside the game which team could pry Judge away from the Bronx and the first answer is usually the Giants, who have been looking for a face-of-the-franchise type of star to succeed Buster Posey. San Francisco took swings for both Giancarlo Stanton and Bryce Harper in recent years, showing that the Giants aren’t afraid to pay a star player.