The Yankees' Hal Steinbrenner-Aaron Judge 'feud' is just a fan invention

When I saw a tweet saying Hal Steinbrenner "shot a flamethrower" at Yankees captain Aaron Judge, I had my popcorn ready for the fireworks. I watched it once, then again, waiting for a shot that never came.

After the Rays swept the Yankees out of the ALDS, Judge said he was "hating every single moment" of the elimination and that the front office should go all-in and "do what they need to do" to fill the roster's holes. People heard a captain calling out his owner, but I heard a guy whose season had just ended, and not at all how he drew it up.

Why Hal Steinbrenner's Aaron Judge comments are a good sign for the Yankees

You have to remember what Judge's year looked like. A broken rib cost him more than three months, and a week after he returned, a calf strain put him right back on the injured list. When you're making $40 million a year and can't be on the field when your team needs you, it eats at you, and can take an emotional toll. His coaches and teammates know he wants to be out there, but it doesn't change the facts. I've sat in the clubhouse after a season ends, and I can promise you the first thought is not what they need to say to the media, and I think that's what a lot of people "felt" from Judge's comments.

Then, on Wednesday, Hal confirmed that a new deal for Brian Cashman is being worked out, and addressed Judge directly. He said he wasn't upset about the comments after the elimination game, that he had a "great conversation" with Judge the day before, and that with decisions coming after the World Series, Judge "is going to be a part of all that."

That's not a flamethrower. That's an owner who knows he has one of the greatest hitters ever for a limited window, and bringing the captain into roster conversations is how you protect a culture and redesign a winning one. Aaron Judge has earned every bit of that access.

He also said he has expectations of his players, mentioning the medical staff in the process, and (I think) some fans took that as the jab. I took it as the opposite. Judge set a standard after Game 3, and Hal agreed with him. An owner and a captain holding everyone to the same bar is exactly where you want this franchise, especially with so much uncertainty heading into this offseason's CBA.

Hal continued on and made sure to mention (maybe this is the jab?) that this team had the highest payroll in franchise history, and hasn't been shy about spending. Spending the most money and spending it on the right players aren't always the same thing, as plenty of expensive Yankees rosters have learned. Still, if I'm Judge, I'll take an owner who's happy to write the big check —  now it's just about cashing it on the right guy.

Fans and media see a sound bite, while players see the relationship behind it, and those of us covering this team have a responsibility not to create a divide that isn't there. After a month of scorching takes about this core, it's easy to turn every quote into a feud. From the outside looking in, this looked like two people on the same page about running a business and competing for a championship together, and Yankees fans should take it as good news rather than another distraction.

If I'm Judge, I'm hanging up that phone call, then seeing the press conference and feeling like my owner has my back. Now the only question is whether the new ownership calculus turns that conversation into the pieces he asked for.

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