Yankees Not Doing Themselves Any Favors By Speaking Publicly About Aaron Judge Contract Negotiations
By Liam McKeone
No matter how this rollercoaster of a season ends for the New York Yankees, nobody can say a single bad word about Aaron Judge. The slugger has been immaculate all season long, even as the team around him collapsed over the summer. Through September 7, Judge has notched 54 home runs and has a legitimate chance of becoming the first player since 2001 to break the 60-HR barrier.
Judge is also an unrestricted free agent next year. The Yankees were probably regretful five months ago that they didn't manage to lock down their superstar before his career year and aren't feeling any better about it now. That won't stop them from talking about it publicly, apparently. Team president Randy Levine went on a podcast with Jon Heyman of the New York Post and talked about the possibility of Judge staying in pinstripes for a long time.
To be completely honest, Levine really did not do anybody any favors by speaking! Here are some of the best hits:
Levine: “There is no question we want Aaron Judge back and we value him . . . Being a Yankee is really really important. . x There is no issue whether want Aaron Judge back . . It is a negotiation . . Then it will be up to him . . Does he want to be here.”
— MichiganYankees (@MichiganYankees) September 6, 2022
Levine: “We know his worth. It takes two to tango. We don’t know what is in his mind. All we can do is show him how much we would like for him to be a Yankee. Negotiations have to be in the realm of reality, not unreality.”
— MichiganYankees (@MichiganYankees) September 6, 2022
Judge is in the middle of a historic season at the plate. The Yankees should not be out here talking about how it takes two to tango. Those are the words of a franchise laying the groundwork to not try very hard to sign him. The sign of a cheap franchise, many might say.
It's especially ridiculous to imply that the possibility of Judge leaving is due to a lack of desire to be a New York Yankee. It's a time-honored tradition by those in power to shift the blame to the worker for wanting their worth. "He just didn't want to be here!" the Yankees cried after lowballing him by $100 million. Absurd.
To some, it may be sad to see the Yankees fall from grace in such a manner. But here they are, acting like their rival Boston Red Sox when it comes to paying their homegrown superstar what they've earned.