Yankees\’ Manager Aaron Boone Plans Reducing Aaron Judge\’s Center Field Responsibility As The MLB Season Progress!

Aaron Judge is leading the home runs with 39 so far and is an early contender for the MVP this season. He also received the most votes for the outfield position for the All-Star Game. On Thursday, the four-time All-Star led the New York Yankees to a 1-0 win over the Royals with a walk-off home run. The Yankees outfielder has started 51 of the team\’s first 100 games in the center field this year. Moreover, Judge has started in the position almost every day in the last two months. However, the center field responsibility puts quite some burden on the 30-year-old, who is 6\”7\’ tall and weighs 282-pounds. The two-time Silver Slugger missed one game in July due to calf soreness. He has rested occasionally to ensure his health and fitness stay well.

Recently, the Bombers manager Aaron Boone revealed that Judge would receive some relief from his center field position as the season progresses. Boone revealed that Judge would be involved a little more in the right field during the season\’s final two months. The Pinstripers boss believes that Judge has been at his healthiest this year, especially while playing in the center field. Boone added, \”I don\’t want to overreact to that. But I also want to be smart as we go into the final couple of months.\”

The acquisition of Andre Benintendi will provide the Yankees an opportunity to make some changes in the outfield. It will allow Boone to take some load off Judge. With Andrew expected to feature on a regular basis in the left field, Aaron Hicks can go back to being the center fielder. Aaron Judge will be able to settle in the right field. In addition, Giancarlo Stanton is also expected to be in the right field when he recovers from his injury. 

Can The Yankees Retain Aaron Judge?

Aaron Judge has made a very strong case with his magnificent hitting this season. He leads the majors in home runs and is likely to become the MVP in 2022. Moreover, with the 2017 Rookie of the Year set to enter free agency, it is become harder for the Yankees to close the deal. 

The 30-year-old rejected the franchise extension deal and demanded Mike Trout\’s position player salary of $36m per year. However, with the form Aaron Judge has shown, he could easily become the highest-paid player in the history of MLB. Thus, a lot of teams will go after Judge after the 2023 free agency. Hence, the Yankees would have to be really smart to make Aaron Judge stay with the Bronx.