Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner on Aaron Judge: "I want him to be a Yankee for the rest of his life ... we're going to do what we can"

New York Yankees fans are waiting nervously as the Aaron Judge saga continues to drag on. There is plenty of interest in arguably the best hitter in baseball, but Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is doing everything in his power to reassure fans that Judge isn't going anywhere.

According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Steinbrenner is confident about his chances of bringing Judge back in 2023.

"I want him to be a Yankee for the rest of his life... we're going to do what we can," said Hal Steinbrenner.

Hal is the son of former long-time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. He seems to be taking on a more hands-on role with player contracts as he gains experience in his position. His father was famous for his managerial style, where he was known to micro-manage aspects of the club.

"Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner projected much confidence in the team’s ability to re-sign Aaron Judge, AND still continue spending to improve the team.'We have plenty of ability — and Aaron and I talked about this — to make other things happen, too.'"

The club are dangerously close to losing one of their most prized assets. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner have been unsuccessful in closing a deal for the slugger. A seven-year, $213.5 million offer was rejected by Judge last season. That decision allowed Judge to enter free agency and he is now free to choose which teams he wants to play for next season.

Aaron Judge is coming off a record-breaking season

Hal Steinbrenner (L) and Jim Delany address the media during a press conference

Aaron Judge just completed a record-setting season. Judge finished with a .311/.425/.686 slash line and an incredible 1.111 OPS. The four-time All-Star led MLB in home runs, RBIs, runs, walks, OBP, slugging and OPS. He also broke the single-season American League home run record with a total of 62.

"Kirschner: "Steinbrenner left little doubt in his 30-minute sit-down with reporters on Tuesday that he was going to do what it takes to make sure Judge is a Yankee for the rest of his career." - Michigan Yankees

The New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are all rumored to be interested in signing Judge.

One positive for the Yankees is that Hal Steinbrenner is taking a more personal approach with Judge. He is meeting with the star player directly in the hopes of convincing him to return to New York. The club are pulling out all the stops in hopes of re-signing one of the greatest baseball players of this generation.