Aaron Judge: After a 'Brutal' Wait, Yankees' Winter Moves Finally Pay Off
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge admitted that the wait for his team's transactions this offseason was indeed 'brutal'. As the three-time and reigning American League Most Valuable Player, Judge had his first media availability of spring training in Tampa on Monday.
"It was brutal," Judge said. "I see a lot of free agents out there. I want to sign these guys right now and start adding more pieces, because I've seen other teams around the league get better. Early on, it was tough to watch. We're the New York Yankees; let's go out there and get the right people to finish this thing off."
When asked if he expressed his views to the team, Judge grinned and said, "Yeah, oh, yeah."
Despite the initial wait, the Yankees eventually brought back most of the same roster from 2025, which finished 94-68, lost the AL East title to the Toronto Blue Jays in a tiebreaker, and then fell to Toronto in the AL Division Series. Center fielder Trent Grisham accepted a qualifying offer last November, and the team remained quiet for a franchise known for being one of the major leagues' biggest spenders. At one point in the winter, the Yankees were the only team in baseball that had not yet added a new player.
That changed when the Yankees traded four prospects for Miami Marlins left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers. However, the biggest names they signed were brought back from the 2025 roster. Outfielder Cody Bellinger landed a five-year, $162.5 million deal last month, and veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt came back on a one-year, $4 million pact.
Judge was satisfied with the moves.
"We're right where we need to be," Judge told reporters. "I love it. People might have opinions about running it back because we didn't win it all last year and fell short in the Division Series. But we're in a good place."
Judge also mentioned that his right elbow is fully recovered after his flexor strain last summer, which did not fully heal. Manager Aaron Boone recently stated that Judge would play in four or five of the Yankees' first nine Grapefruit League games as he gets back to throwing at game speed.
Judge expressed his concerns after the postseason ended, not knowing if he'd need surgery until the team doctors assured him.
"They ran all the checks again and did all the tests, and they said, 'You're good to go,'" Judge said. "So, it was great to hear those words, and now I can prepare for the offseason and get into the best shape to start the year."
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