"He is more likely than not to remain a Yankee" - MLB insider reports on prevailing belief around league that Aaron Judge will re-sign with the New York Yankees

General manager Brian Cashman’s judgment has often been called into question by New York Yankees fans, but one thing he is spot on about is Aaron Judge’s next contract, whichever franchise it may be.

Judge took a massive gamble when he turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer earlier this year. He went on to produce one of the most prolific seasons in history. Now, a well-deserved “pot of gold,” as Cashman put it, awaits Judge.

Yankees fans who have been anxiously speculating about the future of their talisman can now heave a sigh of relief. While it’s no official confirmation, MLB insider Jon Heyman has reported that Judge is more likely to stay in the Bronx than relocate elsewhere.

"The prevailing thought from people outside of the organization is that he (Judge) is more likely than not to remain a Yankee" - Jon Heyman

As far as the valuation of Aaron Judge's next contract is concerned, Heyman believes that it could be in the region of $300 million and possibly even more.

"From all the executives and agents I talked to, $300 million was just about the baseline, the lowest offer that we're talking about here," Heyman said. "... I have some guesses that were even higher than $300 million, some in that $350 million range." - Jon Heyman

There’s an outside possibility of Judge moving from the Bronx to Queens, with the New York Mets also involved in the mix for the Yankees superstar.

However, such a deal, as described by Heyman, is a “longshot” since Buck Showalter’s side have a free agent crisis of their own to focus on. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, starters Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassit and Carlos Carrasco, and closer Edwin Diaz will all be out of contract soon.

New York Yankees GM calls Aaron Judge’s gamble “an all-time best bet”

General Manager Brian Cashman called Aaron Judge’s wager on himself “an all-time best bet,” referencing the slugger’s decision to turn down a seven-year, $213.5 million deal on Opening Day earlier this year.

Speaking two days before the Yankees’ ALDS showdown with the Cleveland Guardians, Cashman said:

"There's a pot of gold there. It's yet to be determined how much it weighs, but it's a pot of gold, no doubt about it. So good for him. It was already a big pot and, obviously, it'll be bigger. He’s put himself in an amazing position to have a lot of choices. Obviously, we’d like to win the day on that discussion." - Brian Cashman

Whether Aaron Judge will don the pinstripes in 2023 or not is a discussion best reserved for the offseason. The Yankees are eyeing their first World Series crown since 2009, so any discussion at the moment surrounding Judge’s future is only likely to cause further distractions. However, expect the negotiations to continue behind the scenes.