By all accounts, Aaron Judge has enjoyed the free-agent process thus far, fielding a substantial offer from the Yankees before boarding a flight to field interest from the West Coast. Sales pitches can be fun, but in making his decision, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player has voiced one concern above all.

"For me, I want to win," Judge said. "I've come pretty close with the Yankees. We've been one game away from a World Series [in 2017] to getting kicked out in the Wild Card to ALCS, ALDS, just kind of all around the board. So my ultimate most important thing is, I want to be in a winning culture and be on a team that's committed to winning. Not only for the remainder of my playing career, but I want a legacy to live on with any organization. First and foremost is just about being in a winning culture and a winning future."

The Yankees wasted little time reiterating their desire to keep Judge in the Bronx for the better part of the next decade, extending a proposal to the slugger's camp that -- according to ESPN's Jeff Passan -- clocked in at eight years and approximately $300 million.

That came after managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner spoke to Judge on several occasions, including at least once face-to-face, telling Judge, "I want you to be a Yankee for life."

"He's a very important part of this team," Steinbrenner said. "He became an even better leader this year, I think, in the clubhouse. People gravitate toward him; the young players gravitate toward him. Obviously, he's very important to our fanbase and very important to my family and the organization."

Three years ago, the Yankees rattled the baseball landscape during the Winter Meetings by agreeing to a massive deal with ace Gerrit Cole. Next week, general manager Brian Cashman and his baseball operations staff will return to the hallways of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, hoping to learn that Judge will accept their invitation to continue playing in the Bronx.

"There's still work to be done, and we'd like to do that together with him," Cashman said. "He's put himself in a great position to have a lot of choices, so we've got to give him the time to play that out. He'll do what's best for him and for his family."

Judge led the Majors in runs (133), home runs (62), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), OPS+ (211) and total bases (391) this past season. If he returns, several Yankees -- including first baseman Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Nestor Cortes -- have said that they believe Judge should be named the team's first captain since Derek Jeter.

"I hope Judge stays, just for the sake of the game," Rizzo said. "You see a lot of franchise icons not getting what they deserve for the team they have done so much for. But I think with the Yankees team in general, I think there will always be a chance to compete."

• Could you envision an Opening Day lineup with Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe? Steinbrenner has, and he'd like to see both infield prospects receive legitimate opportunities to break camp with the Yanks next spring.

• It's Hall of Fame season! Don Mattingly and Roger Clemens are among those being considered by the Contemporary Era Committee, while Carlos Beltrán is among the new names on the BBWAA ballot.

• Donnie Baseball, by the way, was hired Wednesday as the Blue Jays' new bench coach. The YES Network had expressed interest in having Mattingly join its broadcast team. 

Each week, we invite newsletter readers to share a treasured Yankees-related story or anecdote. This week, we feature an unforgettable moment from Andy Bartucca of Palmyra, Va.:

My favorite Yankees memory was the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for my favorite Yankee growing up, Mickey Mantle. Of course, Whitey Ford was also inducted that day. I had never been to Cooperstown, but I couldn't miss the event so I convinced my future brother-in-law to join me. I took a day off from my summer job, and with map in hand, off we went. By the time we arrived, the ceremony was well underway. As you can imagine, the crowd was huge, and we were so far away that we could hardly see the stage. The most important thing is that we can say we were there.

The day only got better.  We purchased admission to the museum, which at the time cost only $2. There was a Hall of Fame Game that day featuring the Braves and White Sox. Hank Aaron had just broken the all-time home run record. The game was sold out, so we bought tickets from a scalper; well worth it. I can't find a box score, but I vaguely remember Aaron getting at least one hit and scoring a run. The final score was Braves 12, White Sox 9. My Mantle cards may be long gone, but I will never forget that day in 1974.

We'd love to hear from you! Submissions for 'It's Fun To Be A Fan' can be emailed to bryan.hoch@mlb.com.

Judge has 220 career home runs, which is the fourth most as a member of the Yankees among players drafted and signed by the organization. Who has the most? (Note: the MLB Draft was first held in 1965.)

A. Derek Jeter
B. Thurman Munson
C. Jorge Posada
D. Don Mattingly

Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes has committed to represent Team USA in next spring's World Baseball Classic. Cortes was born in Cuba but grew up in Hialeah, Fla., moving to the United States with his family when he was seven months old. Team USA begins pool play on March 8.

In an Instagram post, Cortes promised to represent Team USA with honor and thanked the club for considering him, calling it "a full-circle moment." Cortes said he attended a WBC game at Marlins Park in 2013, when he was still in high school.

"I was born in Cuba and arrived in the United States very young as my parents were chasing the American dream they so strongly believed in and still stand by," Cortes wrote. "Today, I can say another dream of mine has come true as I will represent TEAM USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. I love my Cuban roots and the Cuban blood that runs through my veins, but the land of opportunity has once again put me in a position to be part of what I once saw only as a dream."

On this date in 1954, the Yankees and Orioles completed the largest trade in Major League history, with 17 players changing teams. The swap, which included Don Larsen, Bob Turley and Gene Woodling, began on Nov. 18 and concluded on Dec. 1. Two years later, Larsen would pitch the only perfect game in World Series history.

C. Posada

Posada hit 275 home runs over his 17-year big league career, all with the Yankees, from 1995-2011. Posada signed after being selected in the 24th round of the 1990 MLB Draft out of Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Ala.

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