AL East Rival Made Significant Offer to Aaron Judge
Two years ago, Aaron Judge attracted interest from multiple teams during his free agency, including a notable offer from an AL East rival. The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly discussed a 10-year, $300 million contract with Judge before last season, as revealed by Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times.
This offer was less lucrative than the 9-year, $360 million deal Judge ultimately accepted from the Yankees. The Padres had proposed a heavily deferred $400 million deal, while the Giants also offered $360 million. Despite the lower amount, Judge appreciated the Rays’ effort.
“It was a very respectful offer, and I appreciated that they reached out and thought enough of me to do that,” Judge commented to the Tampa Bay Times. He also mentioned that playing for the Rays after competing against them for so long would have felt strange.
Since signing with the Yankees, the 32-year-old Judge has lived up to expectations. Although he played in only 106 games last season, he achieved a 1.019 OPS. This season, he leads the league in home runs (32), RBIs (83), slugging percentage (.677), and OPS (1.103).
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