When it comes to Aaron Judge and his future with the New York Yankees, mum is the word.

General manager Brian Cashman declined to comment Friday on whether he's been in contract with Judge's representatives on a new deal. Cashman, however, did not tiptoe around the importance of Judge to the organization's plans for this offseason and beyond.

"When you make these commitments on players, you know he's a fan favorite," Cashman said during a news conference at Yankee Stadium on Friday. "He interacts with our fans extremely well. He's respected within that clubhouse, handles his business as good as you possibly can. He's an elite performer -- among the game's best, if not the best player. With all that being said, those are the types of players you want to retain and have as long as you possibly can."