The New York Yankees sealed the three-game series against the Tampa Rays with a 5-4 win to extend their AL East record to 51-18. The current Bombers squad is being considered to be one of the best lineups in franchise history. If the Yankees continued to perform the way they started the season, they could end up smashing the current MLB record of the highest (116) wins in a season. If everything goes right for the bombers, they could win 119 games, which is a 162-game pace of 119-43.
While most of the players on the Yankees squad have been performing magnificently this season, one player has clearly led the Bombers on his shoulders. The Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has made a substantial contribution to the team’s winning record with his powerful slugging. In 66 games, Judge is leading the majors with 55 runs, 25 home runs, and a slugging percentage of .644. Moreover, the three-time All-Star is hitting .300/.378/.644 with a 190 OPS+, which is around 90% better than the league average. In addition, the 30-year-old’s rWAR of 3.4 is tied for the third-highest in the majors this season.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Judge is in the final year of his contract and will enter the free agency at the end of the season. The Yankees offered a contract renewal deal for seven years at a $30.5m salary annually. However, Judge demanded position player Mike Trout’s record $36m a year salary. The Bombers eventually failed to close the deal as Judge decided to bet on himself this offseason. The 2017 Rookie of the Year is set to become the highest-paid position player this season whether he renews his contract or decides to go with different teams. But, it looks like the Chicago Cubs might just not be one of the teams, as revealed by a rival executive in the MLB.
Why Won’t Judge Sign With The Cubs?
The Chicago Cubs are having a completely opposite season compared to the Yankees. Aaron Judge is going through the peak of his career. And he would like to dedicate his best years in pursuit of a world championship that the Cubs look far from currently.
As per one rival executive, Judge is unlikely to sign with the Cubs this offseason. The executive revealed that Aaron wants to win. Therefore, he would not sign with a loser team like Chicago are currently. The rival executive did not see Judge signing up for a team rebuild anytime soon.
Moreover, the Cubs have decreased their payroll by 25% since 2019. There is no way Aaron is taking a pay cut after the season that he is having with the Pinstripers. Chicago has a disappointing record of 26-43, which is a 162-game pace of 60-102. Thus, the Cubs might not be the team that Judge will end up with this offseason. However, no matter where he goes, Judge is going to be the dominating force for a long time. The outfielder could also lead the Yankees to the World Series victory for the first time in over a decade.