Aaron Judge, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player Award winner and the top free agent available this offseason, made his free-agent decision on Wednesday morning, returning to the New York Yankees on a nine-year pact that will pay him $360 million. Judge's contract ranks as one of the five most lucrative in Major League Baseball history, be it in terms of total value or an average annual value. While the bidding for Judge was expected to come down to the Yankees and the San Francisco Giants, there was a surprising addition to the mix. The San Diego Padres, authors of ample blockbuster deals in recent years, were not only involved in the process, they reportedly made a larger offer than the one Judge took, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. USA Today reports the Padres offered Judge a 10-year, $400 million deal, and this marks the second time in a matter of days that the Padres made a top free agent a larger bid only to see them sign elsewhere.
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