Nestor Cortes on Aaron Judge: "We follow everything he does. He leads by example ... he's a great baseball player but he's a better human"

The future of Aaron Judge is still unclear. The New York Yankees slugger has been the standout player in MLB this season and is the favorite to win the American League MVP.

To be the captain of the New York Yankees is a great honor. The organization is recognized as one of the largest sports brands globally. Judge is the backbone of this lineup and is the team's leader, on and off the field. Yankees All-Star pitcher Nestor Cortes believes Judge is a future Yankees captain, assuming he remains in New York.

"We follow everything he does. He leads by example ... he's a great baseball player but he's a better human," Cortes said.

The Yankees executives have managed Aaron Judge's contract situation poorly. There have been several occasions where the organization could have locked up Judge on a long-term deal.

Owner Hal Stenbrenner and General Manager Brian Cashman will have to hold their hands up for arguably botching the biggest deal in baseball history. Earlier this year, it was reported that a seven-year, $213.5 million contract was offered. It was promptly rejected by Judge and his team.

The offer is low when you examine what other players around the league earn. Max Scherzer, of the New York Mets, is making $130 million over a three-year period. Mike Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract back in 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels.

Aaron Judge's 62 HRs helped the New York Yankees to a 99-63 record in 2022

Aaron Judge hits a fly out against the Houston Astros in game two of the ALCS

The strategy to lowball Judge has backfired. Judge chose to play out the remainder of his contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season. It is a strategy that has paid off for him.

"Brian Cashman held a press conference on Opening Day to flame Aaron Judge for holding out for more money and the dude went out and had arguably the greatest contract year in pro sports history" - Nick Stellini

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

The New York Yankees are one of the most storied and historic franchises in all of baseball. The Yankees captain's title holds a great deal of prestige. The club's last two captains were Don Mattingly (1982-1995) and Derek Jeter (1995-2014).

Judge has earned the right to set his price. He has had a record-breaking season and has led his team deep into the playoffs. The Yankees must do everything in their power to re-sign baseball's number one player to a long-term contract.