Aaron Judge Rumors: Rays Offered Yankees Star $300M Contract in 2022 MLB Free Agency

The Tampa Bay Rays are rarely a player in free agency, but they attempted to make an exception for Aaron Judge.

The Rays offered Judge a 10-year, $300 million contract before the slugger re-signed with the New York Yankees, per Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times.

"The Rays, that surprised me," he said. "And just because it was a divisional rival, and I've spent my whole career trying to game-plan against them. ... It was a very respectful (offer), and I appreciated that they reached out and that they thought enough of me to do that," Judge said. "And I respect their team. I respect what they have built here. They have a good club, and their team is tough.

"But it was so hard to think about (playing for them), because I've spent my whole career game-planning against them and trying to beat them."

It doesn't appear Judge was ever close to signing with the Rays. The Yankees and San Francisco Giants were his final two teams in the running, with New York ultimately offering him a nine-year, $360 million contract and the status of team captain.

Both in terms of dollars and cents and opportunity, the Rays were nowhere near the ballpark of being able to land Judge.

Still, this is a sign that the Rays ownership group is willing to open up their tight wallets in the right situation.

That has not been the case in the past, as Tampa has been historically frugal—both with its own players and on the free-agent market. Zach Eflin's three-year, $40 million contract signed in 2022 is the largest in Rays history. The Rays franchise has signed only two nine-figure contracts, with Evan Longoria inking a six-year, $100 million extension in 2012 and Wander Franco inking an 11-year, $182 million deal in 2021.

Judge has proven himself worth every cent for the Yankees, remaining one of the sport's premier sluggers. He is hitting .308/.426/.677 with an MLB-best 32 home runs and 83 runs batted in as we approach the All-Star break. The 32-year-old is on pace for his third season with 50 or more home runs.

With Tampa sitting in fourth place in the AL East at the moment, it's unlikely the Rays wind up making a splash this winter. However, as their group of young players grows together, it's possible ownership gives the nod to another big offer down the line.