TAMPA, Fla. – Aaron Judge fretted like many Yankees fans as big-name free agents kept signing elsewhere.
“It was brutal,” the New York captain said Monday after the year's first full-squad workout. “Early on it was pretty tough to watch. I'm like: Man, we’re the New York Yankees. Let's go out there and get the right people.”
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Judge spoke at length about the Yankees' lack of World Series title since 2009, of homering and striking out against 22-year-old flamethrower Carlos Lagrange during the workout, about captaining the U.S. in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and last year's elbow injury.
“The awards, the MVP, All-Stars, man, that stuff, it doesn’t matter. What matters is putting New York back on top and putting this organization back where it belongs," Judge said. “I don't get paid to just play this game. I get paid to win here.”
Judge missed 10 games between July 25 and Aug. 5 because of a flexor strain in his right elbow sustained making a throw home from right field at Toronto on July 22. He didn’t return to the outfield until Sept. 5 and he threw gingerly at 67.9 mph. Judge gained arm strength during the rest of the season but didn’t get to 100%.
“I’ve never dealt with any elbow stuff, so I was definitely concerned,” he said.
Judge wasn't sure until after the postseason that he would avoid surgery.
“They ran all the checks again and did all the tests and they said: `You’re good to go,'” he remembered. “And I said: All right, when can we start throwing? So it was good. It was great. It was great to hear those words so that now I can go into the offseason and just prepare the way I need to be in the best shape to start the year."
His elbow is at full strength.
“Throwing to bases a couple of times already, so no worries,” he said. “Just excited to get back out there and just have the confidence, especially — that was the toughest thing for me last year, was the pitcher's working his butt off and the guys around me were working their butt off and then the ball was hit to me and I had no shot."
Judge, who turns 34 in April, won his third AL MVP in four years and became just the fourth player in major league history to hit 50 homers four times after Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. He won his first AL batting title, hitting a big league-best .331 with 53 homers, 114 RBIs, an AL-high 124 walks and a major league-leading 1.144 OPS. Then in the playoffs, he went 13 for 36 with one homer, seven RBIs and a 1.273 OPS.
New York, seeking its first title since 2009, retained center fielder Trent Grisham early in the offseason but didn't make bigger moves until late.
“Let’s sign these guys right now and start adding more pieces because I’m seeing other teams around the league get better,” Judge said. “They’re making trades. They’re signing big prospects or big players. And we’re sitting there for a while kind of making smaller moves.”
Asked whether he made his thoughts known to the Yankees, Judge flashed a toothy grin and said: “Yeah, oh, yeah.”
New York's late moves involved re-signing Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees also acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from Miami in a trade.
“It was frustrating, but I think we’re right where we need to be,” Judge said.
Judge appeared to clear Steinbrenner Field in left on a 99.3 mph from Lagrange (pronounced La-GRAN-he).
“Was so far,” Lagrange said in amazement.
Judge later struck out on a 102.6 mph fastball from the 6-foot-7 right-hander, and praised “his personality and presence.”
“He’s impressive. I’ve seen a lot of videos, I’ve heard a lot of stories about him over the years,” Judge said. “He came right after us and that’s what you need if you’re going to play in the Bronx, you’re going to play in New York. You got to have that demeanor, that it doesn’t matter who’s in front of you.”
Lagrange was promoted to Double-A Somerset last June and went 7-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 15 starts and one relief appearance, striking out 104 and walking 50 in 78 1/3 innings. He has been working to improve his control.
“He’s done a lot of the little things behind the scenes where he’s cleaned up his work and controlling the running game,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “He’s shown to be a leader. Really love his makeup on top of obviously what is a really big arm.”
A seven-time All-Star, Judge is starting his 11th major league season.
“It’s just been really fun to not only witness the great things he’s done on the field,” Boone said, “but to witness him just grow as a player, as a man, as leader, as the captain, as a father. He’s just really revered by everyone that walks through that room, and that’s very real. And to have your superstar player, a face of the sport, be somebody that is so approachable —- I heard one of our players talk about: `He makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the room.' He’s got that quality about him that really resonates with our guys.”
Starting his ninth season with New York, Boone addressed the team along with general manager Brian Cashman. Boone seeks out Judge's thoughts on key decisions.
“There's probably no other player that I run things by, that I kind of partner with on some things,” Boone said. “If I’m thinking about shaking something up or doing something different, a lot of times I’ll talk to Judge about it just to — we’re on the same page, make sure how it’s going to play in the room.”
Judge often seeks out Boone.
“There’s been so many times I’ll be frustrated with something or I don’t like what’s going on and I’ll be kind of sitting in his office right after the game, ready to kind of talk things out,” Judge said.
“I think just having that option to where I can voice the opinion of the team. I try to listen to everybody on the team, if it's a bullpen guy, if it’s a backup catcher, to the starting first baseman I want to hear everything they have to say and even the opinions I have and I take it right up to the top and he’s pretty good about getting back to me. He'll voice his opinion at times where he’s like: "No, I don’t agree with it this time' or there's other times when he's kind of like, ‘Hey, I think that’s that’s a good idea.’”
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