NEW YORK -- For the third time in the last six years, the New York Yankees were eliminated by the Houston Astros in the postseason. The Astros wrapped up their authoritative ALCS sweep Sunday night. It is Houston's fourth trip to the World Series in the last six years. The Yankees have each of their last five ALCS trips dating back to 2010. That is longest such streak in history.
Yankees franchise player Aaron Judge had a quiet ALDS -- he went 1 for 16 in the four games -- and made the final out of Game 4. In a few weeks he will officially hit the free-agent market, and seeing how he just hit 62 home runs and is likely to win AL MVP, Judge is in line for a massive payday. The Game 4 loss is so fresh, however, and Judge said he had not thought much about his future yet.
"Not at all," Judge said after Game 4 when asked whether he thought about it possibly being his last home game in Yankee Stadium. "I try to go out there and do my job and help this team win. I really didn't think of it as my last game here. It happened so quick you don't really have much time to soak it in."
Judge added he has "plenty of time to figure" out his contract situation, and he reiterated he wants to remain with the Yankees. "I've been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes, but we couldn't get something done before spring training and we'll see what happens," he said. Judge rejected a $213.5 million extension this spring.
"Incredible. Just an incredible season," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked about Judge's season and the though of him playing elsewhere. "Someone that I've grown to love and admire and respect. Hopefully we'll see him in pinstripes for a long time. I don't even want to think about the alternative right now. He means a lot of a lot of us in that room."
The 30-year-old Judge will earn his third top-four finish in the AL MVP voting this season, and beyond the .311/.425/.686 batting line and 62 homers, he also played the majority of his games in center field. He is close to irreplaceable, especially since his value to the Yankees transcends his on-field production. He is their biggest draw and their biggest star.
Free agents will be free to negotiate and sign with new teams five days after the end of the World Series.
