Aaron Judge Is Officially Introduced As New York Yankees $360M Captain For The Next Decade With A Goal To Win “Multiple Championships”

The Yankees officially introduced Aaron Judge as the captain of a new era in the Bronx on Wednesday in a press conference aired live on MLB Network. Judge leads the Yankees into the next nine years with hopes of leading them back to the top of baseball’s food chain several times over the next decade.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ve had the fortunate pleasure to be a part of this franchise for a long time,” said Yankees Senior VP & GM Brian Cashman who has served in a general manager capacity since 1998 and just inked his own deal that will keep him in his leadership role until 2026.  

 

 

Part of that history has been a lot of great players have come through here and been a part of this storied franchise…if you’re talking about a homegrown player, it is a rare occurrence to be in a position to sign, draft, develop and ultimately retain a player throughout his entire career and today we are excited to re-introduce Aaron Judge as part of that legacy.” 

 

 

Judge was flanked by his wife and Hal Steinbrenner, (Yankees Managing General Partner) one on side and on the other side of the podium was the rest of the Yankees brass including manager Aaron Boone, who was more relieved than anything else that his history-making MLBbro was back in the fold long term. 

 

Thats one spot in the lineup he doesn’t have to worry about – barring injury – for a long time. 

 

 

“People have asked me over and over what was it like the day before we were able to reach an agreement (with Judge),” Boone said at the presser. 

 

“And I’ll put it in laymen’s terms for ya…That feeling if you lost your cellphone, your keys, your wallet and your ipad, gone…and the next morning someone knocks on the door and says, “Were you looking for this?”

 

 

That comment got a chuckle out of Judge, but the $400M offer from the Giants was no laughing matter. “But in all seriousness,” Boone continued, “we got our guy.”

 

 

Hal Steinbrenner said he never considered Judge a free agent – until it was obvious that he was highly-coveted, and the market was going to be kind to the 62-homer hitter.

 

 

 

“I was wrong,” Hal said. “Aaron was a free agent and there were numerous clubs that wanted him in a big way to be a part of their organization.”

 

 

After Hal presented Judge with his new No. 99 Yankees jersey as a $360M man, the Paul Bunyan of Baseball stepped to the podium and thanked the Yankees organization for believing in his talents back in 2013 when they signed him for a $1.8M bonus.  

 

 

“A little kid out of Fresno State coming to the Big Apple. It was a blessing and an honor,” Judge, the MLBbro 2022 Player of the Year said on Wednesday. 

 

 

He reflected on the history and an opportunity to carve his own niche in the most storied franchise in American sports. 

 

 

“Getting a chance to be a captain of the Yankees now, what an honor that is,” Judge added. “I look back at the list of (Yankees captains)…Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly. Not only great baseball players, but great ambassadors of the game and the New York Yankees.” 

“Im here to embrace every single obstacle and continue to lead this team and lead this city to not one, but multiple championships.” 

 

 

We heard another superstar in the NBA once say something similar and he delivered. LeBron James was a bit more extravagant and boastful with his championship hopes once he shocked the world and joined the Miami Heat, but he did win multiple championships. If Judge can do the same, Yankees fans won’t be mad at all. It’s been since 2009 since the Bronx tasted championship glory.

 

 

 

 

He won’t be able to do it by himself but having him in the fold is a scenario the Yankees can live with.