Taking a look at whether the New York Yankees should invest big money in Aaron Judge or see how he responds in the coming months coming off another injury.
The pros and cons of extending New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge stretched as far as the eye can see, but the reality is, Judge is one of the best players in Major League Baseball and when healthy is a difference-maker in every facet of the game.
It’s easy to consider Judge as solely a productive slugger, but when you factor in his incredible arm strength and defensive attributes, the case is made for an extension.
New York Posts’ George A. King III answered a question pertaining to giving Judge a big contract in the future:
“Judge is a top-10 talent in the game who will be eligible for arbitration following the next two seasons. The injury factor aside, if I were the Yankees, I would make an effort to see what he is looking for in terms of years and dollars for a deal that would buy out his arbitration years and some of his free-agent seasons. His injuries, however, might cloud the Yankees’ plans.”
This is a logical thought when it comes to seeing his expectations relevant to a contract. If he’s looking for Gerrit Cole money over 10 years, his injury history might not suggest this is a good move. Of course, retaining home-grown talent with incredible potential is usually an easy decision, but Judge hasn’t played a full season since 2017, in which he finished as the runner-up for MVP behind the cheating Jose Altuve.
He was already on pace to miss a significant portion of the upcoming campaign with a stress fracture in a rib. It would have taken months for him to return to playing shape and earn the necessary reps to prepare for big-league pitching. However, his influence would have been significant come the postseason and playoff push. There’s no discounting that fact.
Ultimately, it comes down to his future health and if he can stay in playing shape consistently. If he can play a majority of games in 2020/21 on arbitration, the Yankees can feel confident in offering him an extension.