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It was reported recently that the New York Yankees have been having closed-door discussions between players and front office, with Aaron Judge playing a big role.
He's the leader, the best player and the captain, so his voice matters in these discussions. According to the reports, Judge pressed the front office to use RBIs and batting average more in player evaluation.
That's certain to please traditional fans who aren't enthused with the rise of analytics. The Yankees have been criticized by their angsty fans over over-reliance on those metrics instead of traditional ones.
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However, one MLB insider believes that catering to what Judge suggests would be an issue.
It hasn't been reported on whether or not the Yankees are going to listen and do what Judge asks, but Chris Kirschner of the Athletic says that it wouldn't be a good thing:
"That’s not to say Judge can’t have good opinions or doesn’t offer good ones on personnel matters.
"But generally, the front office brain trust should be making those decisions independent of Judge’s wishes. If they agree with him, great, but if they are acquiescing to him, that’s an issue."
It remains to be seen what changes for the Yankees in 2024.
MLB analyst doesn't think Yankees need to adhere to Aaron Judge
Chris Kirschner added that despite fans not trusting the front office in New York, they can't adhere to a player's requests that seem to be in line with what fans think:
"His opinion should not be outsized, no matter how much distrust there is from the public on who is making the Yankees’ decisions.
"That leads some to wonder whether the general manager feels some type of way about his star player getting direct access to the owner’s ear and going above his head."
Things are very tense for the Yankees right now. They're coming off their worst season in two decades and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Things are trending the wrong way, and fans would like to see change.
So would Aaron Judge, who has opinions on how to do so. The Yankees, per Kirschner, should listen but not acquiesce to their star player.
