NEW YORK — In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the baseball world and ignited a firestorm in the Bronx, a leaked internal email from a former MLB lawyer suggests that Aaron Judge—the face of the New York Yankees—held a secret meeting with the New York Mets in 2022, during his highly publicized free agency period.

According to the email, obtained during a 2025 internal audit following the abrupt firing of Mets CEO Richard Elmore, Judge met privately with Mets president Jonathan Ryder at an undisclosed Manhattan location. During the meeting, the two allegedly discussed plans to build a “superteam” in Queens, with Judge as the central figure.

But the bombshell didn’t stop there.

✉️ A Draft Deal — Signed, But Never Sent

Included in the leaked documents was a draft contract, dated November 2022, outlining a 5-year, $265 million agreement. The contract appeared to be signed by Judge’s agent and a Mets executive, but was never finalized or submitted to the league office.

“Judge: still leaning Yankees, but open to Mets offer. Wants assurance of aggressive roster building + opt-out by Year 3,” read one internal note attached to the document.

This revelation contradicts the narrative long upheld by Judge and the Yankees front office—that his return to the Bronx was driven by loyalty and a desire to finish his career in pinstripes.

🧨 Fan Fallout in the Bronx

Reactions among Yankees fans have been intense.

“He played us like a violin,” wrote one fan on Reddit.
“This changes everything. That whole ‘Yankee 4 Life’ talk was just PR,” said another.

Some fans even booed Judge during last night’s home game against the Rays—an unthinkable moment just a week ago.

Judge, who eventually signed a 9-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees in December 2022, has yet to publicly respond to the leak. His agent declined to comment.

⚾ A “What If” That Could’ve Changed Baseball

MLB insiders are calling this one of the most stunning behind-the-scenes near-shifts in recent baseball history.

“We were this close to seeing Judge in orange and blue,” said one former Mets executive under condition of anonymity. “If that deal had gone through, the Yankees would’ve been blindsided. The entire AL East dynamic could have shifted overnight.”

As of now, the MLB has not announced any investigation into tampering or ethics violations, but league sources say commissioner Rob Manfred is “closely monitoring the situation.”

The Fallout:
Will Judge’s Bronx legacy take a permanent hit?
Was this just business—or betrayal?
And what else lies beneath the surface of MLB’s free agency wars?

Stay tuned. Because in New York… loyalty has a price tag.