Aaron Judge has had a tumultuous off-season, with his free agency taking place. He eventually signed a 9-year $360 million deal, breaking the New York Yankees’ franchise record. This came after a stellar 2022 season in which he took home the AL MVP award. The star outfielder was also named the Yankees Captain, becoming the first to hold the position since Derek Jeter. 

All-in-all, most would call Judge’s off-season a success with him signing a massive deal and earning the Yankee’s captaincy. But details of a mammoth $415 million offer have come to light, once again bringing his free agency into the limelight.

Aaron Judge turned down a $415 million deal from the San Diego Padres

Following a stellar 2022 campaign, Aaron Judge entered free agency this off-season. He ended up signing a $360 million deal with the New York Yankees after hearing out multiple teams. It has now been revealed that Judge rejected a $415 million deal from the San Diego Padres. This means that he left approximately $55 million on the table to sign with the Yankees. Barstool Baseball shared the news via Twitter. 

In a Tweet, Barstool Baseball quoted renowned MLB insider Ken Rosenthal saying, “Before re-signing with the Yankees in December, Aaron Judge turned down a Padres offer of at least 12 years $415 million.” This is a huge piece of information that changes the landscape of the deal that Judge signed. He picked a deal with an AAV of $40 million but with $55 million less in guaranteed money.

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Notably, the Padres have more firepower and by joining them, Judge would probably have had an easier path to win a championship. But the 2022 league MVP trusted his instinct and picked the Yankees as his destination for the rest of his MLB career. Now, he will have the chance to fight with his Yankees teammates and win the World Series the hard way.

Judge wanted to protect his legacy this off-season

Aaron Judge has revealed that he wants to continue building his legacy with the New York Yankees. That is why he returned to the Bronx over joining other teams. He likes the idea of playing with the Yankees for his whole career and winning a World Series with them. 

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It will be interesting to see if Judge’s decision pays off and if he is able to win a championship with the Bronx Bombers. What do you think of the fact that Aaron Judge turned down a $415 million deal? Kindly share your onion on the topic in the comments section below!