Тоp free agent Aaron Judge returns to Yankees – sources

Aaron Judge, who hit free agency after one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, will return to the New York Yankees after agreeing to a nine-year, $360 million deal, according to sources.

Judge back in the Bronx a Giant blow to San Francisco! #AaronJudge #RepBX pic.twitter.com/dXCp8vMBEg

— Out In The Field (@OutInField_) December 7, 2022

The 30-year-old Judge set an American League record with 62 homers in 2022 to break the 61-year-old record held by Roger Maris, powering the Yankees to the AL East title.

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He also tied for the major league lead with 131 RBIs and just missed a Triple Crown with a .311 batting average.

According to media reports, Judge, who became the first AL MVP for the Yankees since Alex Rodriguez in 2007. will earn $40 million per season, the highest average annual payout for a position player.

The contract trails only Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts’ $365 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers for biggest in baseball history.

The 6-foot-7 Judge was offered a long-term deal by New York before last season that was worth $213.5 million over seven years from 2023-29. But he turned it down in the hours before opening day in April.