Aaron Judge has reportedly reached an agreement with the New York Yankees to stay in the Bronx.
He has agreed a nine-year, $360million deal to stay, according to reports.
Judge had a blockbuster 2022 with the Yankees, hitting an American League record of 62 home runs and eclipsing the long-standing record held by Roger Maris.
But as his terms expired, Judge took time to consider his future and the San Francisco Giants were hopeful of tempting Judge back to California, where he grew up.
Now, news he is staying on the east cost will come as a huge boost to the Yankees.
Aaron Judge is set to stay at the Yankees after agreeing a nine-year, $360million deal
Judge had a historic 2022 season for the Bronx Bombers, hitting a record 62 home runs
But Judge was in the final year of his Yankees deal and was a free agent as the season ended
Only on Tuesday night did manager Aaron Boone admit it was ‘stressful’ waiting to hear what the 30-year-old would decide.
Boone added that the Yankees were holding fire on other plans for the upcoming season until they knew whether they had Judge.
Judge was pictured back in California over Thanksgiving and was filmed in San Francisco, being asked why he was there.
‘Just visiting family and friends,’ Judge said, although it is believed he held talks with Giants while in California.
Judge rejected a seven-year, $213m offer from the Yankees before the start of last season but always suggested he hoped to stay in New York.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone (right) said it was ‘stressful’ waiting for Judge’s decision
Judge pictured with wife Samantha Bracksieck at Monday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers game
‘I think both sides, we want to come to an agreement,’ Judge said in March. ‘I know both filed numbers but that doesn’t mean the communication stops.
‘Hopefully, we can continue to communicate and kind of find a number that works for both of us. I want to play here, I want to finish my career here. There’s no better place to play.’
On Tuesday, Judge told TIME that he was frustrated that details of his $213m offer were leaked by the Yankees – quotes which were interpreted by some as a negative sign on his Yankees future.
‘We kind of said, “Hey, let’s keep this between us,”‘ Judge said.
‘I was a little upset that the numbers came out. I understand it’s a negotiation tactic. Put pressure on me. Turn the fans against me, turn the media on me. That part of it I didn’t like.’
But Judge is now set to continue cementing his position as one of the all-time greats to play for the Yankees.
Judge is good friends with Tom Brady and has spoken to him before at length on his career
The 30-year-old spoke to Tom Brady on his Let’s Go! podcast shortly after striking home run 62 and said he was humbled to see his name alongside the finest to play baseball.
‘Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, the list goes on and on. You see them round Yankee stadium with their World Series rings, those are Yankee legends and baseball greats,’ Judge told Brady.
‘How could I ever be mentioned with those guys? I’m just starting my career, a couple years in – what are you guys talking about? It’s always a humbling experience being in the same sentence, being mentioned as some of those greats.
‘But like you say, it’s tough to get used to. I wake up every day and try and help the Yankees win a ball game, I never see myself up there with Babe Ruth or Roger Maris but it’s something I never take for granted.
‘At Yankee Stadium we have a little sign that says “just do your job”.
‘I could have been 0-4 the night before, I could have been 4-4 the night before, hit a walk off, whatever. Well guess what? That’s all over with. Now when you step out onto this field you’ve got to do your job. That for me is what builds championship teams.’
Judge watched Brady in action for Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night as they defeated New Orleans Saints 17-16.
Brady joked on his podcast that he’d try and get Judge to quit baseball for football.
‘I was wondering what it would take to get you down in Tampa to be a tight end for us next year,’ Brady said. ‘It looks pretty good to me – the way he runs, the size, the catch radius, the power!’
But it’ll be baseball, and specifically the New York Yankees, where Judge will be spending the next nine years of his career.