Steinbrenner: I told Judge 'I want him to be a Yankee for the rest of his life'

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner sounds prepared to ensure Aaron Judge never wears another uniform.

Steinbrenner revealed Tuesday that he's already had multiple one-on-one talks with the star outfielder, who's now a free agent.

"I've absolutely conveyed that I want him to be a Yankee for the rest of his life," Steinbrenner said, according to Newsday's David Lennon. "No doubt about that. He knows that."

Judge, widely considered the American League MVP front-runner, rejected a $215-million extension offer from the Yankees before the 2022 season began. He then produced a year for the ages, hitting an AL-record 62 homers while also taking a run at the Triple Crown.

Steinbrenner and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman now find themselves in a tricky situation regarding Judge's future. While the richest franchise in baseball can easily afford him, the 30-year-old's price tag has skyrocketed beyond their initial offer in the spring.

New York faces a tremendous amount of competition for the outfielder's services, with the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly emerging as a suitor and the San Francisco Giants - who Judge rooted for as a boy - also being repeatedly linked to him.

The Yankees also have other business to tend to this winter. They took care of one important move Tuesday, re-signing first baseman Anthony Rizzo - a close friend of Judge's - to a two-year, $40-million contract. Steinbrenner made it clear that whatever Judge costs won't impact any other potential offseason moves.

"We have plenty of ability - and Aaron and I talked about this - to make other things happen, too," the owner said, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.