The song largely remains the same regarding the status of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million extension before the start of the season and began the All-Star break as a legitimate Most Valuable Player candidate.
As noted by ESPN stats, Judge leads all of MLB with 33 home runs on the campaign. He’s tied for third with 70 RBI and is third, overall, with a .983 OPS. The four-time All-Star selection is also on track to hit free agency after the season but recently hinted he’s willing to discuss a deal with the Yankees “before the year ends.”
Per Ryan Morik of SNY, Judge suggested during Monday’s All-Star media availability that he’s open to committing his long-term future to his current employer.
“I want to play for the Yankees. I want to be here for a long time,” Judge explained during his comments. “If it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s out of my hands. I can’t really control that kind of stuff. For me, it’s just been about focusing on the game and playing the game, and when I’m a free agent and we decide where we go, we’ll figure all that out later.”
The 30-year-old may have also teased that he could give the Yankees somewhat of a hometown discount.
“I don’t live in fear. Money’s never been the reason why I play this game,” Judge remarked. “This is a gift that I have, I try to go out there and have fun and use this gift to the best of my ability. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s why I got agents. That’s why I got family supporting me, helping me make the right decisions. Ultimately, all that stuff will get taken care of if it’s in New York or if it’s not in New York. It’s nothing for me to worry about or front about. It’s gonna handle itself.”
There’s no indication the Yankees are any closer to preventing Judge from hitting the open market than they were at the start of the month. Barring a significant slump or injury, Judge’s price may only continue to rise between the All-Star Game and the end of October.
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