Aaron Judge lets disappointment with Yankees slip with Trevor Story quote

You’re not going to believe this, but after 48 hours of transparently false rumors about the New York Yankees‘ connection to a high-profile free agent, they finished out of the top three in the bidding for Trevor Story.

Somehow, some fans managed to get it through their heads that after overstuffing their infield, acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson, and squeezing DJ LeMahieu out of a starting role, the Bombers were going to risk it all and nab Story, too. Sure, Jan.

Ultimately, Story would’ve been an interesting short-term fit for the Yankees as long as he was willing to explore a position change, but for six years and $140 million, you’d think fans would be eager for him to bring his problematic elbow and Xander Bogaerts displacement to Boston long-term.

You’d think wrong, even though this is the kind of deal fans kill Brian Cashman for annually.

Add Aaron Judge to the list of dissatisfied people in Yankee Universe.

Judge, typically cagey about his feelings, like one slip while attempting some Captain Speak on Monday in the wake of the trade. Instead of simply dropping an Aaron Boone (“We know we can compete with those guys in the clubhouse, etc.”), he flat-out admitted losing Story — and losing him to Boston — bummed him out.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge unhappy with losing Trevor Story

Now, refresh my memory: is this the moment Judge’s relationship with the Yankees went sour? Or was it when the two sides refused to hold any extension talks? Or was it when he chose to make himself ineligible for 81 home games, potentially? Maybe we’ll never know.

Story himself wasn’t the dealbreaker this winter, but he was the exclamation point, considering he was the final domino to fall in an offseason marked by more swings and misses than solidification. Refrains of, “They’re not done!” have echoed throughout the fan base, but with only Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea left to miss on, they really might be approaching the end of their rope.

Did Judge’s Yankees get better? Absolutely, even though they somehow managed to both move on from Gary Sánchez and find a downgrade. But did they get better by enough? By no means.

Boston nabbing Story — and playing him out of position — is the icing on the cake. The Yankees are supposed to be in “go for it” mode. Boston’s supposed to be happy to be here until their prospects pan out. And yet … it’s been New York treating 2022 like a bridge year while Judge eyes other out-of-town destinations.

Six years and $140 million is both a lot for Trevor Story and a drop in the bucket for the New York Yankees. Carlos Correa’s deal was even cheaper and offered more flexibility somehow. Even reinvesting their savings here in Judge’s future might not be enough to lock him down.

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