Yankees Superstar Was 'Pretty Close' To Leaving In Devastating Fashion

It sounds like the Yankees almost lost one of the club's biggest superstars

May 31, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) stands in the on-deck circle during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees certainly are in a great spot right now but it sounds like they were pretty close to having a completely different looking roster.

Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has developed into a fantastic player and arguably one of the best sluggers in team history. Judge broke the American League record for home runs in 2022 with an astonishing 62 en route to winning the American League Most Valuable Player award.

He entered free agency at the end of the 2022 campaign and some wondered whether or not he would be back in New York. It seemed like he could leave and join the San Francisco Giants. While he ended up returning to the Yankees, he was "pretty close" to signing with San Francisco, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller.

"It was close,” Judge admitted as transcribed by Miller. "It was a while ago, but it was pretty close. They have a great organization here. Great team. Great pitching staff and great guys. Young guys coming up. We just ended up going to New York."

Luckily, Judge returned to New York and landed a nine-year deal worth $360 million. He is under contract through the 2031 season and likely will finish his career as a member of the Yankees unless something extremely surprising happens.

New York currently is the best team in the American League and Judge is one of the biggest reasons why. It's great that he is signed for so long and we no longer need to wonder what could've been if he signed with San Francisco.

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