Aaron Judge back in Pinstripes

Aaron Judge is back. The New York Yankees have resigned the 2022 AL MVP to a nine-year $360 Million deal Wednesday morning pending a physical. However, Judge’s return to the Bronx is MUCH more than that.

The Yankee right fielder is the heart and soul of the Bomber clubhouse and the fanbase. He is the presumed captain of the franchise. And for about seven minutes late Tuesday afternoon Aaron Judge was a San Francisco Giant, throwing away the legacy Judge built as a Yankee, and the doomsday situation that the Yankee faithful feared was reality… or so it seemed. The claim that Aaron Judge—or should I say Arson Judge was going home to the Bay was just that—a claim.

Yankee owner Hal Steinbrenner made a statement rather than just hearsay; by putting the money behind the words he said in an early offseason interview.

For a large part of the younger Steinbrenner’s ownership of the Yankees the label around the spending habits of the Bronx Bombers were painted “CHEAP” in big red spray paint across the Steinbrenner family vault. Instead, what should be said now after the Aaron Judge contract—the new label around Hal Steinbrenner should be selective with the way he spends money. When the kid Steinbrenner really wants a player—that is exactly what happens. It happened with Gerrit Cole in the winter of 2019, and it happened this year with Aaron Judge. Moving forward I think it’s safe to say that it will happen again at some point in the future.

In the now, how will Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner continue to upgrade the ballclub for 2023. Now that Judge is in the fold what is next? This question is not meant to turn the lights off on the celebration that is on in Yankee World surrounding Judge returning, but it is the question that is on the mind of the Bomber front office, because that’s their job.

Will Carlos Rodon be a Yankee? Who will play left field alongside Harrison Bader and Aaron Judge? Who will help get the ball to Clay Holmes or get the ball at the end of games? What does the shortstop position look like? Do Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks return or are they playing elsewhere in 2023? These five questions will decide whether or not the Yankees can separate themselves from the pact and truly compete with the Houston Astros.

Carlos Rodon for the San Francisco Giants was a five-win player going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA with a 147 ERA+ in 178 innings along with 237 strike outs. He also had a Major League Leading 2.25 FIP and is the best starting pitcher left on the free agent market. If you can get a healthy Rodon, he is one of the better pitchers in baseball, but that’s a big if. The bet could be worth it, but it is a bet, nonetheless.

The left field market is an interesting one. Andrew Benintendi seems like the logically answer for the last spot in the Bronx Bomber outfield, he is everything the club is missing. But he’s not the only option. The Yankees could dip into their international money and put a bid in for Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida slashed .335/.447/.551 for the Orix Buffaloes in the JPWL. Michael Brantley could also be a “Plan C or D” if players on the Yankee radar choose to go elsewhere. Brantley would be more of a risk going into his age 36 season. The free agent lefty bat could not stay on the field for the Champion Astros in 2022, but he is a year removed from hitting .311 in 121 games along with a 119 OPS+. Brantley like Benintendi solves a lot of the problems that the Yankees have, but Brantley is limited defensively. Another name that has been trending upward in the past couple of years is Jurickson Profar. After being labeled a “bust” not living up to superstar status with the Texas Rangers, Profar has become a solid ball player. Last year from the San Diego Padres the switch-hitting free agent hit 15 home runs, an on-base of .331, and an OPS+ of 111. Profar can also play all the position on the field outside of catcher and do it around league average with 2 DRS last season.

Shortstop is more complicated. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is still under contract and the Yankees love what he brings to the table defensively with IKF recording 10 DRS according to Fangraphs. The Yankees also have Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza ready to truly start their Major League careers in 2023 (as well as Anthony Volpe not too far behind) so the Yankees diving into the deep end of the superstar shortstop pool at this point in the offseason is unlikely, but they could use IKF to get a pitcher that could help the staff as a whole.

The same goes for Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks, but with the two of them, a high-level prospect would likely have to be attached in order to get anything of value in return. One or both of these players not returning in 2023 is probably unlikely—but not completely out of the question. Because it seems with the return of Aaron Judge in the Bronx there is different about this offseason. This 2023 offseason could be different. The no-excuse mantra that was placed upon the 2022 regular season could apply to the 2022-23 offseason.

At the least, order is restored in the Bronx because for a moment (hopefully not a brief moment) your grandparents and parents Yankees are also the 2023 Yankees.