Two years ago, Aaron Judge attracted significant interest from multiple teams during his free agency period. Among these teams was a surprising contender: the Tampa Bay Rays. According to a report by Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays had discussed offering Judge a 10-year, $300 million contract prior to the last season.
This proposed deal from the Rays was notably less than the 9-year, $360 million contract Judge eventually secured with the Yankees. Additionally, the Padres extended a heavily deferred $400 million offer, while the Giants matched the Yankees’ $360 million bid. Despite the Rays’ offer being less lucrative, Judge expressed his appreciation for their interest, stating, “It was a very respectful offer, and I appreciated that they reached out and that they thought enough of me to do that.”
Judge also reflected on how unusual it would have been to play for the Rays after having spent his entire career competing against them.
Since re-signing with the Yankees, the 32-year-old Judge has continued to perform at a high level. Despite being limited to 106 games last season, he managed an impressive 1.019 OPS. This season, Judge leads the league in several key categories, including home runs (32), RBIs (83), slugging percentage (.677), and OPS (1.103).