New York Yankees: Brian Cashman Should Pass on Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge is having a fantastic season by putting impressive numbers on the board, impressing every analytic nerd like myself. The New York Yankees outfielder is slashing.297/.398/.667 with a 1.064 OPS in 468 at-bats. Judge is hands down the MVP favorite, with 139 hits, 51 home runs, 113 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and 76 walks in only 126 games played.

Even though his numbers are ridiculous, and he is currently making the former MVP look bad, I still stand by my previous article regarding the slugger.

New York Yankees cannot afford to keep Aaron Judge

Judge declined a seven-year, $213.5 million agreement with the Yankees (plus $17 million for this season). As a result, the four-time All-Star will be eligible for free agency after the conclusion of the 2022 season.

The outfielder claimed a few months back that he felt at ease visiting the free agency and speaking with all 30 clubs. However, I still think the New York Yankees’ proposed extension was quite generous. Even with this fantastic season, Judge is not worth $30.5 million a year.

If I were in Brian Cashman’s shoes, I would let him explore his options. But unfortunately, the Yankees can not offer another extension. His agent may see him as a 40 million-a-year guy, which he is not.

Judge has fewer options to sign elsewhere than you might think. You can throw away the following teams from the bidding as they will not try. So he should not count on the D-Backs, Cubs, Reds, Guardians, Rockies, Royals, Angels, Marlins, A’s, Pirates, Rays, Rangers, and Nationals. So now his options have gone down to seventeen of thirty teams.

Based on this season, we all know Judge wants to get paid. But, from the New York Yankees’ standpoint, it doesn’t make sense to invest so much capital in one player with a fantastic season.

Throwing cash to a player is not a way to contend every year as Yankee fans expect. Look, the Angels threw $430 million to the best player in the League, and if it weren’t for the A’s, they would be last in that division.

Also, New York’s farm system needs some work. While promising, we all must admit that this roster is not incredible. Nevertheless, the Yankees can make some moves this offseason to get the team in top shape. Getting rid of Hicks, calling up Volpe, trading IFK, and getting another starting pitcher are some examples to contend for years to come.

Cashman already has committed to Gerritt Cole and Stanton, which in my opinion, were not great ideas. But, as we have seen this past decade, money is not buying championships. The Yankees can’t seem to be successful without Jeter.

If you are a fan, I am sorry to disappoint you. Unfortunately, the New York Yankees are not winning the World Series this year.

I know; #99 sells a lot of jerseys. But it seems that Judge doesn’t want to commit to the Bronx as we all thought. But, again, if I were Cashman, I would stay put with my offer; if he wants to walk, let him.