Aaron Judge is likely to receive a nine-year contract of well over $300M, and Boston Red Sox fans should be rooting for the New York Yankees to be the ones to give it to him.
You heard me.
It is in Red Sox fans’ best interest for the Yankees to emerge victorious in the Judge sweepstakes, because the alternative could be much worse for Boston.
Consider what the Yankees would do with their sudden abundance of financial flexibility if Judge signs elsewhere.
Sign Xander Bogaerts?
Trea Turner?
Clone Ted Williams and have him hit .400 at Fenway again? I’d love to see that, but not in pinstripes.
All the above, just because they can?
The possibilities are almost endless, and most of them would hurt the Sox more than signing Judge.
Yankees signing Aaron Judge would benefit Red Sox
For front offices, the offseason isn’t only about their team, but their opponents, as well. It’s about strategy and looking at both the short- and long-term implications. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if Judge, who will turn 31 in April and historically hasn’t hit well at Fenway Park, remained in the division. If anything, it could end up working in Boston’s favor now and down the road.
New York’s luxury tax payroll currently sits at $175.9M, though arbitration salaries have yet to be decided. According to ESPN, they recently upped their offer to Judge to eight years in the $300M vicinity, and it’s now being widely reported that they’re prepared to make it nine years to ensure he doesn’t leave for another eager suitor, like the San Francisco Giants.
Paying Judge when he’s nearing 40 probably won’t be pretty, especially given his already-lengthy injury history. But as with any long-term contract, a team is paying for the player’s prime. Having to endure later years of waning talent is the price they pay to get the good years.
The Yankees have already burdened themselves with several long-term contracts that will hamstring them down the road; Judge would add a substantial amount to said burden. DJ LeMahieu is signed through 2026 with a limited no-trade clause until the end. They have Giancarlo Stanton under contract through 2027; he has a full no-trade clause and a $10M buyout if the Yankees don’t pick up his 2028 club option. Gerrit Cole is signed through 2028, also with a full no-trade clause. For the next few years, Stanton and Cole will be paid almost $70M combined. Judge will likely want the security of a full no-trade clause, too.
Meanwhile, Trevor Story and Garrett Whitlock are the only Red Sox players currently under contract for 2026. They are primed to bring Bogaerts home and extend Rafael Devers, and even if they do both, they’ll still have significantly more financial flexibility down the road than their rivals.
But if the Yankees lose Judge, there will be hell to pay. The Sox could very well end up directly in their line of fire.
Update: Yankees sign Judge for 9 years, $360M
On December 7, Judge officially chose to return to the Yankees when they matched the Giants’ offer.
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