The New York Yankees season ended without Aaron Judge taking an at-bat in the postseason.
After the season ended, Judge was disappointed that the team fell short, and noted that he wanted the front office to go "all in."
"We're the Yankees," Judge told reporters after the loss. "I feel like they should go all-in and do what they need to do. If we've got holes, if it's finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you got to go out there and get it. That's why I signed back here to play with the Yankees. To fight for a championship."
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner met with the media on Wednesday and was asked about his thoughts on what Judge said and whether he felt like the team had gone "all in."
"Was I upset about it? No," Steinbrenner said of Judge's comments. "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 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. It did not work out."
Steinbrenner did not stop there, however. He went out of his way to make a telling comment about "expectations" that could be a subtle dig at Judge.
"And by the way, I have expectations of my players," Steinbrenner said. "I expect them to obey the rules, to work hard, 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."
After missing most of the season with a rib injury, Judge lobbied to return to action without a rehab assignment. He injured his calf after returning and was unable to get healthy in time for the postseason. The decision by him and the Yankees to forgo a rehab assignment could have been a factor in him injuring his calf.
If Judge had gone on a rehab assignment, he could have afforded to have a slower build up in the field. Instead, he was inserted into the lineup with the Yankees trying to win the division, and there was no room for a slow build up. The Yankees could not burn a roster spot while playing meaningful games just to build Judge up. In the minor leagues, he could afford to move at a slower pace and really be ready.
When Steinbrenner talked about players listening to strength coaches and trainers, he could be making a pointed comment at his team's captain.
Steinbrenner also noted that he and Judge had a good conversation after the season, and that he will be involved in decisions the team makes after the World Series ends.
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