The one thing stopping Aaron Judge from hitting home runs is the weather.
Judge remained stuck on 54 homers on Tuesday, as his chase for Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers was paused resulting from Tuesday’s rainout in The Bronx.
And if there’s anything this season has shown, it’s how much the Yankees need Judge of their lineup.
“He’s the very best player within the league,” Aaron Boone said Tuesday. “Whether we’re at full strength and everybody’s going, that’s huge. And without delay, we’re struggling slightly and have guys down. His level of consistency and production are the explanation we’re on this position.”
Every home run will little doubt be utilized by Judge and his agents relating to the negotiations following the season after he turned down the Yankees’ extension offer of seven years, $213.5 million before Opening Day.
On the opposite side shall be team president Randy Levine, together with others, who will attempt to bring the value tag down.
“We all know his value and what he means,” Levine said on “The Show” podcast with The Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “I don’t know what’s in his mind. All we will do is show him how much we’d like him to stay a Yankee.”
But Levine noted the organization believes there are two sides to the situation and that the Yankees also provide value to Judge.
“Like with all free agents, being a Yankee is basically vital,” Levine said. “It brings loads that, possibly, a variety of other locations don’t. Now we’re talking in regards to the home run chase with Babe Ruth and Roger Maris: two Yankees. So there’s no issue about, ‘Do we would like Aaron Judge back?’ There’s no issue [with] ‘How much we value him.’ It’s a negotiation. What we’ll speak about with him and his representatives within the offseason is, ‘How can we keep him?’ After which it is going to be as much as him to see, does he need to stay here [or] does he need to go someplace else? Is someone offering him a greater deal?”
The marketplace for Judge following his extraordinary — and maybe record-breaking — season shall be set after the World Series and Levine said the Yankees can be there.
“I believe we’ll be extraordinarily competitive,’’ Levine said of the Yankees’ approach.
“We predict Aaron Judge is an all-time Yankee. We predict he’s an ideal player, beyond an ideal player. We predict he’s an ideal person. That’s why we offered him the very best position player contract within the history of the Yankees. I love him that he went out and took this upon his shoulders and we’ll sit down with him and hopefully figure it out. I believe there’s absolute confidence we would like him back and absolute confidence we value him.”
And Levine added it is going to be Hal Steinbrenner and his family who shall be cutting any potential checks to Judge — and all other free agents — for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve talked to the Steinbrenners and to Hal and there’s no plans to sell,’’ Levine said. “It is a family business. They intend to be on this without end and provides back without end. I don’t think [selling] is something even value talking about.”
The one thing stopping Aaron Judge from hitting home runs is the weather.
Judge remained stuck on 54 homers on Tuesday, as his chase for Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers was paused resulting from Tuesday’s rainout in The Bronx.
And if there’s anything this season has shown, it’s how much the Yankees need Judge of their lineup.
“He’s the very best player within the league,” Aaron Boone said Tuesday. “Whether we’re at full strength and everybody’s going, that’s huge. And without delay, we’re struggling slightly and have guys down. His level of consistency and production are the explanation we’re on this position.”
Every home run will little doubt be utilized by Judge and his agents relating to the negotiations following the season after he turned down the Yankees’ extension offer of seven years, $213.5 million before Opening Day.
On the opposite side shall be team president Randy Levine, together with others, who will attempt to bring the value tag down.
“We all know his value and what he means,” Levine said on “The Show” podcast with The Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “I don’t know what’s in his mind. All we will do is show him how much we’d like him to stay a Yankee.”
But Levine noted the organization believes there are two sides to the situation and that the Yankees also provide value to Judge.
“Like with all free agents, being a Yankee is basically vital,” Levine said. “It brings loads that, possibly, a variety of other locations don’t. Now we’re talking in regards to the home run chase with Babe Ruth and Roger Maris: two Yankees. So there’s no issue about, ‘Do we would like Aaron Judge back?’ There’s no issue [with] ‘How much we value him.’ It’s a negotiation. What we’ll speak about with him and his representatives within the offseason is, ‘How can we keep him?’ After which it is going to be as much as him to see, does he need to stay here [or] does he need to go someplace else? Is someone offering him a greater deal?”
The marketplace for Judge following his extraordinary — and maybe record-breaking — season shall be set after the World Series and Levine said the Yankees can be there.
“I believe we’ll be extraordinarily competitive,’’ Levine said of the Yankees’ approach.
“We predict Aaron Judge is an all-time Yankee. We predict he’s an ideal player, beyond an ideal player. We predict he’s an ideal person. That’s why we offered him the very best position player contract within the history of the Yankees. I love him that he went out and took this upon his shoulders and we’ll sit down with him and hopefully figure it out. I believe there’s absolute confidence we would like him back and absolute confidence we value him.”
And Levine added it is going to be Hal Steinbrenner and his family who shall be cutting any potential checks to Judge — and all other free agents — for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve talked to the Steinbrenners and to Hal and there’s no plans to sell,’’ Levine said. “It is a family business. They intend to be on this without end and provides back without end. I don’t think [selling] is something even value talking about.”
