All-Star slugger Aaron Judge spoke with reporters before Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night and suggested the New York Yankees will be quite busy this offseason after they failed to qualify for the playoffs this fall.
“It’s a tough time, especially with the World Series going on, but I think once we get past this and through the offseason is when we’re going to see bigger moves,” Judge said about the Yankees, as shared by Mike Puma of the New York Post. “We have still got a lot of time, but I know they are busy working. Literally since our season ended I know they have been working down there in Tampa. They are working hard and I am looking forward to getting some updates.”
Judge spoke openly before the Yankees finished with a record of 82-80 about the club needing changes after it failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. The 2022 American League Most Valuable Player offered no specifics about the “bigger moves” he’s expecting, but it’s widely believed Yankees senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman isn’t going anywhere. Cashman and team owner Hal Steinbrenner reportedly will retain manager Aaron Boone this offseason after Judge repeatedly backed Boone throughout the year.
The team captain also acknowledged that the Yankees haven’t participated in a World Series since they won the 2009 Fall Classic.
“We haven’t made it to the big dance in quite a few years, so we have got some work to do,” Judge remarked. “Especially even on the players’ side — we have got a lot of work to do on the players’ side. I am looking forward to hopefully getting us back to the promised land with some good ones.”
Judge’s comments about “bigger moves” understandably may cause fans to dream about the Yankees landing Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in free agency. Last week, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed the Yankees eighth among his favorites to sign Ohtani, and many within the MLB community assume the 29-year-old wants to stay on the West Coast and likely will join the Los Angeles Dodgers when all is said and done.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have been linked in rumors this fall with San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Juan Soto.
