Context before I comment on Judge:
I'm a lifelong local Yankees fan. First game I remember being at was 1984 against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium. Apparently I was there in 78 or 79, and was brought up to the broadcast booth, where both Bill White and Phil Rizzuto signed a ball for me (which I subsequently, stupidly, played with in the early 80s and lost). Cut my teeth in the 80s with the bad Yankees teams. (I remember Mel Hall hitting a grand slam against the Red Sox on Labor Day to beat them, which was like the highlight of like three seasons total - lol.) Mattingly was my guy. Grew up as an adult in the same age bracket as Jeter, who became my favorite player. Season ticket holder (partial) in 1997. And out here in Cali now, I go to a couple of games whenever the Bombers are in town.
So I'm not a fake fan who knows zero about their history, nor am I a fan based on the big run in the mid-to-late 90s. I lived through all those losses in the 80s and early 90s.
Now that's out of the way, I am happy. Happy for the Yankees, happy for the fanbase, and just happy in general. It would have seemed wrong if Judge left the team after such a historic season. Is it an overpay of mammoth proportions? Absolutely. You don't pay a guy 40 mil a season for his age 31 to age 39 seasons. Particularly a big guy, where history suggests that bat speed slows down significantly in the mid-30s. But I feel the Yankees had no choice. They'd be raked over coals for letting Judge go/if Judge decided to leave. I fully expect Judge to be named Yankees captain (first since Jeter) and it's really fitting. I like the way he's even-keeled, is a leader, and a great face for the franchise.
But it stands to reason that this contract will ultimately continue to destroy MLB baseball finances. It's not my money, nor anyone else's here. But going to games is going to skyrocket further, as younger guys who come up look to pass that 40 mil AAV. The next guy of huge significance I can think of is Juan Soto. And if Soto has a monster year in San Diego this upcoming season (45 homers, domination, etc.), I can easily see him signing an even longer deal (given how much younger he is than Judge) for a bigger AAV. The Judge deal will have a huge ripple effect.
Now, had Judge left and went to the Giants or even San Diego, I wouldn't be one of the meatball Yankees fans that got mad at him. Him leaving wouldn't be about money. I was confident that the Yankees would pay him the same or more than anyone else. So it would come down to where he wants to play. I would never be mad if he went to San Francisco. That was his boyhood team growing up. I mean, it'd be like me playing for Orioles, and then having a chance to leave and go play for the Yankees once I hit free agency. Even if the O's offered more, there's no way I wouldn't. Plus, he has family in the Central Valley (for those non-Northern Californians, Judge grew up in Linden, California, which isn't the Bay Area at all - at least a couple hours inland. It's a rural town in the middle of nowhere). His parents still live there. So I would have understood. I would have been bummed, but I wouldn't have been one of those pompous idiot Yankees fans that burned his jersey and criticized him. (I would have, if he would have gone to Boston though. ha ha ha ha.)
So as a lifelong Yankees diehard and a lover of the team's history, I'm thrilled. But the game needs to do something about these contracts. A HARD CAP is needed. It is spiraling out of control. I know that the players union will fight that tooth and nail. But to save the game from itself, it is very, very needed. As is a salary FLOOR. Teams like Kansas City and Pittsburgh take all this luxury tax and pocket it, putting shit out on the field. That's wrong.
One of the first answers is getting rid of Manfred, and as much as it pains me to say it - installing Theo Epstein. The guy is (this is making me throw up in my mouth a bit) brilliant and perfect for the position. He knows what needs to be done, and can navigate the waters. I just hope the cap and floor happen soon.
Anyway, happy day for this Yankees fan.