NEW YORK — Shortly after the Yankees were swept by the Rays in the ALDS, Aaron Judge was asked how owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman should react to the team’s latest postseason failure.
“We’re the Yankees,” said the back-to-back MVP, who was sidelined for the playoffs by a calf strain. “I feel like they should go all in and do what they need to do. If we got holes, it’s finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you gotta go out there and get it. That’s why I signed back here to play with the Yankees, to fight for a championship every single year. We go all in. That’s what I do every offseason: get ready to give this team and the city everything I got. So I expect them to do the same.”
The captain’s response demanded a follow-up: does Judge feel the organization has gone all in enough during his 11-year, championship-less tenure?
“It’s tough to say,” Judge, 34, said after a long pause. “I want to trade for everybody and sign everybody every single year, but I know that’s not realistic. So they give us a winning team every single year, but that’s not good enough here in New York. We’re the Yankees. You gotta go out there and expect championships and go all in every year, so I’m excited to see what they do.”
On Wednesday, Steinbrenner addressed Judge’s pointed comments while conducting an autopsy of the Yankees’ shortcomings via Zoom. The owner said that he did not watch Judge’s full postgame interview after Game 3 of the ALDS, but a few of the slugger’s quotes were brought to his attention.
His reaction?
“Was I upset about it? No,” said Steinbrenner, who has a close relationship with Judge. “If I was a player, I would have expectations that my ownership group would do everything in their power every offseason to field a team that could win a championship. There’s nothing wrong with expectations. We did that this year. We had the highest payroll in the history of the organization. We got to a point later in the [last] offseason where we still felt we weren’t good enough, so we went out and signed [Cody] Bellinger to a huge contract. Glad we did. He’s a good player, so I definitely think we went all in this season. I definitely think we had a team that was every bit capable of winning a championship. No, it did not work out.
“And by the way, I have expectations of my players. I expect them to obey the rules, to work hard, to listen to their coaches and the trainers and the strength guys. Expectations are a good thing. Any relationship in life is a two-way street, and part of that is having expectations of each other. So no, I wasn’t bothered by it at all.”
As Steinbrenner alluded to, he financed a franchise record competitive balance tax payroll, projected to be $341.8 million, in 2026. That ranked third in baseball behind the Mets ($359.4 million) and Dodgers ($432.8 million), per Cot’s Contracts.
Judge, meanwhile, didn’t specify what he wanted the Yankees to do differently — or what he wants them to do going forward — after Game 3. He did, however, seem to take a shot at the Yankees’ so-called “run it back” approach — they retained a largely similar roster after getting bounced in the 2025 ALDS — despite endorsing the tactic in spring training and at the end of last year.
“The toughest thing is each year, besides us, every other team gets better,” Judge said. “Every other team’s adding new players, getting new coaches, new philosophies, things they can do to improve their team. So it’s not like, ‘Hey, we’re just going to run it back and we’ll be in the postseason.’ ”
While Judge didn’t vocalize his vision to reporters, Steinbrenner said that he and the right fielder had a “great conversation” on Tuesday that covered “a number of subjects.” The early offseason chats between owner and superstar have become an annual tradition, just like the Yankees’ premature playoff exits.
While Steinbrenner didn’t detail their most recent talk, he did say, “We’ve got some decisions that need to be made right after the World Series is over, essentially, and then some we have more time on. And [Judge is] going to be a part of all that. So, yeah, that’s the deal.”
Steinbrenner, speaking for himself, did take exception to the Yankees’ inconsistent offense this season, which he called “detrimental.” Of course, Judge’s injuries played a part in the lackluster performance, as he missed 99 days with a fractured rib and then the playoffs with his calf strain. But Steinbrenner believes the Yankees had enough talent to cover for Judge’s absences — Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton also missed significant time — and so the club is going to look at potential changes to its coaching staff and hitting philosophies.
Some lineup turnover is also expected with Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr. headed for free agency.
“As a whole, they were very inconsistent when it came to run scoring,” Steinbrenner said, “and they were inconsistent for long periods of time.”
As for Judge’s injuries, those also became a point of contention between the player and the organization this year.
He repeatedly pushed to skip a rehab assignment when he returned from his rib injury and got his wish, but he only lasted seven games before suffering a moderate calf strain. Judge then seemed to take issue when Aaron Boone revealed the severity of his strain, and he said he wanted to make what would have been an expedited return for the Wild Card Series and ALDS.
Judge was left off both rosters. On Wednesday, Cashman said that there were no regrets on the Yankees’ end, as “he just wasn’t physically able to post for us” due to the calf strain.
Cashman, also on Wednesday’s Zoom, added that Judge underwent an end-of-season physical and that his rib “came out fine.” Judge has a follow-up scheduled with a specialist, Dr. Gregory Pearl, but the Yankees believe he’s in a strong spot health-wise.
“As of right now, we feel like we’re in a good place,” Cashman said, “and he can take advantage of the rest of the winter and be ready to go when spring training starts.”