New York Yankees give advice to right fielder Aaron Judge (99) about his best options heading into free agency. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees great suggests Aaron Judge needs to re-sign instead of test free agency

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 5/3/22

A New York Yankees star from the past believes the team’s top current best player, Aaron Judge, needs to come to the realization the best option for his future is to remain in pinstripes.

In March, the Yankees faced a deadline where they needed to offer outfielder Aaron Judge a contract extension or face the reality of the three-time All-Star being able to hit the free-agent market in the offseason. Despite offering a deal reportedly in the range of seven years and around $30 million annually, Judge told the organization thanks, but no thanks.

With the deadline past, the New York Yankees are not allowed to negotiate with Judge on a new deal, as he finishes out the final year of arbitration on his rookie contract. The 30-year-old is sure to have many suitors for his talents in free agency. However, one former Yankees All-Star believes Judge needs to come to the “conclusion” that playing for the organization that drafted him in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft is the best place for him.

Gary Sheffield thinks the New York Yankees and Aaron Judge are synonymous

During an appearance at the Las Vegas Invitational Celebrity Golf and Poker Tournament, Fox News spoke with three-year Yankees veteran Gary Sheffield about Judge’s situation. And the man that played for eight different teams during his 22 seasons in the league explained that the outfielder is currently in the perfect situation and he needs to come to the realization that things would not necessarily be better elsewhere.

Aaron Judge stats (2022): .298 AVG, .359 OBP,.643 SLG, 8 HR, 16 RBI,16 R

“In his situation, I think that’s the perfect place for him to be. Always leaving is not the answer,” Sheffield said. “The grass is not greener on the other side. In his case, when you talk about the Yankees, you think of Aaron Judge. When you think of Aaron Judge, you don’t think of him in Seattle or Boston, or anywhere else. These guys got to come to that conclusion and start looking at what’s best for their future long term.”

Sheffield played in the pinstripes from 2004 to 2006. Making the All-Star game twice and having back-to-back seasons with over 30 home runs and 120 runs batted in.

Aaron Judge is off to a strong start in the 2022 season. Currently, he is hitting .298 with eight HRs, 16 RBIs, and 16 runs scored.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: