The season is over for the New York Yankees.
As Aaron Judge hit a grounder right back to Ryan Pressly, the Houston Astros completed a four-game sweep to advance to the World Series for the fourth time since 2017.
Now, Judge’s days in Yankee Pinstripes may be over as well, as the slugger and MVP candidate is set to enter free agency.
After their Game 4 loss, Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented on the future of his slugger, stating that he hoped Judge would be back in Yankee Pinstripes in 2023 and that he didn’t want to even think about the alternative, that being Judge in another uniform.
Aaron Boone on Aaron Judge: “Hopefully we’ll see him in pinstripes for a long time to come. I don’t even want to think about the alternative right now.”
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 24, 2022
Will Judge Leave New York?
It could happen.
It’s always possible that Judge could find himself in a new uniform in 2023.
But Boone and the rest of the Yankees certainly hope not.
Judge had a season to remember, breaking the single-season American League record for home runs that had belonged to Roger Maris for over six decades.
Now, the time has come to consider Judge’s future.
The Yankees certainly have the financial resources to pull it off, and it would be hard to imagine Judge wearing another team’s jersey.
But now more than ever, the unexpected can almost be expected.
A perfect example is Freddie Freeman departing the Atlanta Braves and joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There will be a number of teams that will come calling for Judge’s services this offseason.
Judge is a Bay Area native, so a deal with the San Francisco Giants wouldn’t be a huge stretch.
Judge could still return to New York, but the offseason is going to be an interesting one, as teams bid for his services.
NEXT: Are The Yankees Already Finished In The ALCS?