It was hard not to wonder Sunday night, as Aaron Judge hit a comebacker to the mound for the final out of the Yankees' season, if that was the last time we will see him wearing pinstripes.
He will be a free agent this winter and once that process begins, there’s no telling where the baseball offseason will take one of the game’s great stars and – let’s be real – the last best drawing card for the Yanks.
If it was the end, it’s a tough way for Judge to go, especially after he had such a special season. But as the Yanks were a disappointment in October once again, Judge was just another hole in a lineup full of them. He helped in the ALDS victory over the Cleveland Guardians, swatting two home runs, but he was just 1-for-16 (.063) in the ALCS sweep by the Houston Astros with zero home runs and zero RBI.
Overall in the postseason, he was 5-for-36 (.139) with two homers, three RBI, 15 strikeouts and, amazingly, only two walks.
Now he and the Yankees go into an offseason of uncertainty. The ache of losing to the Astros yet again was still fresh for Judge when he spoke in the middle of the Yankee clubhouse after the game, so he was not waxing poetic about his upcoming free agent chase.
But he did say this when asked if he wanted to remain a Yankee: “I’ve been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes. But we couldn’t get something done before spring training and now I’m a free agent and we’ll see what happens.”
Yes, we will, and whatever happens will have plenty of zeroes attached. Judge said that process will “run through my agent. I haven’t even thought about the next step yet. We’ve got time to figure it out. I’ve never been in this spot before.” He’s going to spend some time with family and lick the wounds from another postseason exit.
If you’re overly-hopeful about him returning, here’s a nugget that might give you comfort. At one point, when Judge was talking about the loss to Houston, he said, “I think when we finally get there and secure this thing, I think it’ll make it a lot sweeter going through the tough times like that, that’s for sure.”
Interesting use of the word “we,” eh? Of course, maybe that’s reading too much into it. After all, once a player hits the free agency’s open market, who knows what comes next. Maybe “we” was a word choice of habit.
Judge acknowledged that he was too invested in Game 4 to do any reflecting as it unfolded. Did he look around Yankee Stadium throughout the night, soaking it in? Nope. How about after it was over? “It happened so quick,” he said.
But he did say this about playing for the Yankees: “Getting a chance to wear the pinstripes and play right field at Yankee Stadium, it’s an incredible honor. I never took it for granted at any point. I always checked myself pregame, say a little prayer and kinda look around the Stadium and pinch myself.
“There are very few individuals who get a chance to run out on that field and do that and play in front of fans who supported us my whole six years. It was a special time and I just kick myself for not bringing home a championship for them.”
He went on to say that he believed that the team had the right ingredients to win this year, but the Astros “played better. Simple as it is. They came up with the big hits. Their pitchers did their job and they played great defense. That’s what it comes down to.”
When he was asked if the Yanks lacked something necessary to advance past this point, he said, “If I had the answer for what we were lacking, we would’ve addressed it by now. As a player, all I can do is show up and do my best. We had all the individuals in this room to bring home a championship, there’s no doubt in my mind.
“They had an answer for us at every turn. Three spot in the first two innings and they come back with the big three-run homer and it continued on. We just couldn’t throw that last punch.”
Will he be around if they ever do? His fellow Yankees certainly hope so. But they know nothing’s guaranteed, even for a slugger who hit 62 home runs in the regular season.
“Hopefully we’ll see him in pinstripes for a long time,” Aaron Boone said. “I don’t even want to think about the alternative right now. He means a lot to a lot of us in that room.”
“A lot of us would be disappointed if he’s not back. Shocked if he’s not back,” said DJ LeMahieu. “But you never know how that goes. I feel like he definitely wants to be here, but when it becomes a business, it changes a lot.”