Aaron Judge is poised to make the biggest decision of his life. He can return to the New York Yankees, the team that drafted him and the one with which he just won an MVP award, or he can go elsewhere and earn a lot of money and try winning a World Series with a new team. It's the most important decision in baseball this offseason.
However, there's a lot more to it than just that. There are a lot of factors to consider for the outfielder.
YES Network and Yankees analyst Jack Curry believes Judge has to decide what his Yankee legacy will be:
"Do you want to be Derek Jeter, which is a Yankee for life and a captain, or do you want to be Robinson Cano, who left the Yankees and went to Seattle for more money?"
He continued:
"I'm not saying Aaron Judge is going to leave and that there's even going to be more money out there, it's just one way to look at this scenario... I don't imagine the Yankees are going to allow themselves to be outbid."
That puts the onus back on the player, so if he doesn't return, it will certainly look like another Robinson Cano situation.
Cano's career fizzled after he left New York and he saw many PED suspensions and allegations after that. Derek Jeter is a Hall of Famer and is considered one of the most iconic players of all time in the most storied franchise in sports.
Which will the newly crowned American League MVP choose?
Where is Aaron Judge going to play next season?
It would be a surprise to see Judge move on, especially after both he and the Yankees have expressed strong desire to remain partners. With the fact that Hal Steinbrenner said the team won't be outbid, it's hard to see him elsewhere.
However, the Giants are a favorite to sign him. He played college nearby and that was his team growing up. It would be very hard for him to pass that up.
He is meeting with the Giants soon, but it's tough to imagine him not being in New York at the end of the offseason.