"It was so hard to think about playing for them" - Yankees' Aaron Judge reveals rejecting Rays’ 'respectful' $300 million offer in 2022 free agency

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is currently in the second year of his contract with the team. He became the 16th captain in the club's history after signing a nine-year, $360 million deal during his free agency in December 2022.

Several teams, including the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, were actively pursuing Judge. However, the six-time All-Star recently disclosed that another team made him a competitive offer during his free agency.

In an interview with Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times, Aaron Judge talked about the Rays' interest in him during his time as a free agent back in 2022.

"It was a very respectful (offer), and I appreciated that they reached out and that they thought enough of me to do that. And I respect their team. I respect what they have built here. They have a good club, and their team is tough," Judge said.

Judge also found it difficult to see himself staying in the AL East and playing for a division rival.

"But it was so hard to think about (playing for them), because I've spent my whole career game-planning against them and trying to beat them," he added.

According to Ackert, the Tampa Bay Rays were considering offering Aaron Judge a contract of around 10 years and $300 million. While this was a significant offer for the Rays, it turned out to be the lowest among the offers Judge received from other teams.

Aaron Judge was surprised by the interest shown by division rival Rays

Being a California native Judge expected interest from the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres but was quite shocked when the Tampa Bay Rays offered him a deal. Discussing about the same, Judge said (via Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times):

“The Giants and the Padres, I kind of expected that and it was different because they weren’t teams we see all the time (playing in the American League). The Rays, that surprised me and just because it was a divisional rival, and I’ve spent my whole career trying to game-plan against them.”

According to The Athletic, the San Diego Padres offered Aaron Judge more than $400 million, while the San Francisco Giants offered $360 million in 2022.

But while Judge turned down the Rays, he hasn't turned down Tampa. Per Ackert, Judge does have a home in the area and says he attends Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games in the offseason.