Yankees legend Derek Jeter unsure about Aaron Judge, happy for Aaron Boone

New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter has become the latest noteworthy individual to discuss the impending free agency of All-Star slugger Aaron Judge.

"I don’t know," Jeter said about Judge's future when speaking at his Turn 2 Foundation Dinner on Wednesday night, according to Robert Sanchez of SNY. "As an athlete this is what you look forward to, getting an opportunity as a free agent. Most athletes don’t even reach free agency, and then when you actually reach it, you have choices. You make the choice that you think is best for you and your family. But I’m sure it’s probably going to be a difficult one for him, I would assume. Maybe it won’t be, I don’t know." 

Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer from the Yankees before Opening Day but suggested after the American League Championship Series he'd like to remain in pinstripes. That was before big-name agent Leigh Steinberg said he believes the 30-year-old could receive a guaranteed deal of $500 million over 10 years on the open market. 

"I told them I wasn’t going anywhere, so no of course," Jeter added about if he ever envisioned playing for a team other than the Yankees. "That was the first thing I told them." 

Jeter also touched upon Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner declaring on Wednesday that Aaron Boone will keep his job as manager despite the club's crash out of the postseason at the hands of the Houston Astros.

"Good for Aaron, I like Aaron, I played with Aaron," Jeter remarked. "Sometimes when you’re in a situation like that it’s almost like you’re in a no-win situation. Unless you win, right? But I like Aaron and once again I haven’t been around the team, like I have had my head down in Miami for four and a half years so I wasn’t paying close attention, but I like Aaron and he puts them in a position every year to have that chance to win and ultimately it comes down to the players right?" 

All-time great closer Mariano Rivera, one of Jeter's former New York teammates, generated headlines when he recently said he wouldn't keep Boone as skipper if he owned the Yankees. 

"When things don't come out the way we want them to all of the fault goes on the manager and somebody has to pay the price and we won't put that on the players," Rivera explained.