As presumed American League MVP Aaron Judge approaches free agency, many Yankees fans are hopeful that he’ll re-sign with New York. So it makes sense that the defining Yankee of the 21st century offered his view of what’s sure to be an unprecedented bidding war.
Derek Jeter, who spent his entire 20-year career in pinstripes, was asked about what he thought of Judge possibly leaving New York and said that while it’s every player’s goal to reach free agency, he has a hard time envisioning the star slugger playing anywhere else.
“As an athlete, this is what you look forward to: getting an opportunity [to be a] free agent … You have choices,” Jeter said. “You make the choice that you think is best for you and your family. I’m sure it’s probably gonna be a difficult one for him, I would assume.”
Judge was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2013 draft and debuted in ’16. He’s since become one of the best hitters in the game, and put together his finest season in ’22, hitting 62 home runs with 131 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a 1.111 OPS.
When asked whether he ever thought about playing for another club, Jeter said he told Yankees management he was comfortable staying in New York.
“I told them I wasn’t going anywhere. So no, of course. That was the first thing I told them.”
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