Report: 'Souring relationship' with fans could cause Aaron Judge to leave Yankees

There's yet another indication that Aaron Judge could leave the New York Yankees via free agency for a non-financial reason. 

Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media suggested that Judge could sign elsewhere after the World Series due to a supposed "souring relationship between the Yankees and their fans" this year. 

Specifically, Klapisch noted how both Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks were taunted by members of the Yankee Stadium faithful this past season and how the father of Isiah Kiner-Falefa received threats via social media long before Judge was booed during home playoff games this fall. 

"Even if it’s a small number of crazies that do stuff like this, word gets out around the league," somebody within the organization told Klapisch. "Players from other teams talk about it. Eventually, you’ll get free agents who ask, 'Do I really want to play for the Yankees?'" 

An unnamed executive added that things between Yankees fans and New York players have "never been this bad." 

Klapisch's story followed a report from last week that said "more than one Yankee player has told his agent this week that playing at the Stadium (during the American League Championship Series) was an unusually brutal experience." 

Klapisch wrote that the executive confirmed the claim regarding "Yankees contacting their agents about the crowd’s behavior during the postseason" when New York hosted the Cleveland Guardians and, later, the Houston Astros. 

While Mike Francesa blasted Yankees players, Klapisch repeated a previous story and explained that Judge spoke about his current employer in the past tense when offering farewells to reporters after the ALCS sweep at the hands of Houston. 

Judge famously rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer from the Yankees and reportedly could earn as much as $500 million guaranteed if he reaches the open market shortly after the Fall Classic concludes. 

There allegedly is "some real concern within the Yankees' ranks about their chances to keep Judge," but multiple insiders have insisted they believe team owner Hal Steinbrenner will do whatever it takes to keep the uncrowned AL Most Valuable Player in the Bronx through at least the remainder of the 2020s.