YANKEE RUMORS: A FUTURE WITHOUT AARON JUDGE?

Things that make you go "hmmmm...." 

What makes you do that related to the Yankees? Lately it's been a few things for me, but to narrow it down to one subject for this post it would be Aaron Judge and I know I am not the only one. 

We all love Aaron Judge. He is talented, has a good head on his shoulders, he's respected and he is the face of the Yankees franchise. There are many reasons to love him, but there are also things we may not like. For me, the injury history is very concerning to me. Right now he is on the Injured List with a grade 1 calf strain and the Yankees are considering bringing him back as soon as he is eligible, which would be this weekend against the Mets, read more HERE. Now, as much as I want Judge back, I also don't wantto rush him back and risk him not healing properly and having a setback. That's not irrational considering his injury history.

But back to the 'things that make you go "hmmmm"' idea I found some interesting pieces the past few days from NJ.com and The Athletic both have long-term ideas for the Yankees that do NOT include Judge. If you do not have a subscription to The Athletic you can still read pieces of it HERE. 

Interesting take. So Judge won't be a free agent until after 2022, so if the Yankees wanted to lock up Judge to a long term extension they should do it while he is arbitration eligible. Makes a lot of sense, but Ken Rosenthal prefers a different idea. The Yankees have been tied to Francisco Lindor in rumors for a while now. Rosenthal thinks the Yankees should move on from Judge and use their outfield depth instead. The Yankees will still have Giancarlo Stanton signed through 2027, Aaron Hicks through 2025, Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman under control through 2024 (assuming the Yankees don't trade Frazier, of course).

Instead of spending money on Judge, Rosenthal suggests upgrading the infield and signing Lindor.
"The Yankees already will owe their other outsized and oft-injured slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, $208 million from 2021 to ’27 when he does not opt out after this season. Great player, great guy, much like Judge. But would the Yankees want to make another uncertain long-term investment when Judge’s first free-agent year would be in 2023, his age-31 season? Lindor is eligible to hit the market one year earlier at a significantly younger age, entering his age-28 season. He has missed only 30 games since 2016, making his only career trip to the IL at the start of last season with a strained right calf and a left ankle sprain. And he is every bit as magnetic as Judge, a native of Puerto Rico with the nickname “Mr. Smile” who would light up New York."

So I guess Rosenthal loves Lindor as much as some fans may love Judge, and that's fair. From a depth perspective, the Yankees have more options in the outfield and Lindor would be a nice upgrade for the infield. It may make sense on paper....but Judge is more than just a transaction, he's the face of the Yankees franchise now. Baseball is a business, but emotions are added when it comes to Judge.

So I get Rosenthal's idea, I understand the thought process. Judge is injury prone, and as he gets older the injury risk only increases. The idea of a Yankees team without Judge though is shocking. I'm still sitting over here saying "hmmmm."

So what do you think about Rosenthal's idea? Should the Yankees sign Judge long-term or get Lindor....or maybe not Lindor but someone else instead? Comment and tell us what you think.

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj