Even If Aaron Judge Doesn’t Prefer San Francisco, The Yankees Are Making His Decision Easy

As MLB’s winter meeting heat up and $300M deals have already been secured, all eyes turn to MLBbro Aaron Judge and what appears to be a two-team race for his services between the New York Yankees (who just inked GM Brian Cashman to a new four-year deal) and the San Francisco Giants who are seeking the franchise’s first superstar of this caliber since Barry Bonds. 

Judge Hit AL Record 62 Bro Bombs, Remains A Free Agent Through First Days Of San Diego Winter Meetings  

Cashman said Monday that the team has made multiple offers to the MLBbro who has spent his entire career for the Yankees.  Judge is reaching free agency at the optimal time. Now that Trea Turner was rewarded with an 11-year $300M deal, it’s not a question if the Judge will exceed that contract threshold.  As Jeff Passan reported on ESPN, “it’s just a matter of by how much.” 

At the All-Star break, the Yankees appeared to still be in the driver’s seat despite Judge’s fast start, but he certainly wouldn’t commit to anything past this season. A season in which he overdelivered and dismissed any talk of decline, being injury prone

 

 

Now that the offseason is in full swing, Judge has no shortage of suitors, but at this point it’s all about the check book. He hit 10 more homeruns than any other player in baseball, which is the biggest gap in 90 years. It’s also about how genuinely the Yankees show they truly want to retain him. 

San Francisco Giants Putting Full Cout Press On Judge

San Francisco is putting a full court press on Judge. Judge is the forbidden fruit that the Giants want to taste, and the Yankees already have tasted it and reaped the financial benefits of Judge’s historic accomplishments and popularity. There’s clearly a number that they aren’t willing to surpass. 

Meanwhile, NBA star Stephen Curry has been joined by members of the 49ers NFL roster as they look to bring Judge to San Francisco. Judge has recently visited the Giants, with the organization said to be ‘elated’ with their meeting.

49ers stars Drake Jackson, Willie Snead IV, Talanoa Hufanga and Marcelino McCrary Ball have sent messages to Judge from the locker-room asking him to make the move. “Aaron Judge, you need to come home bro,” said Jackson.

“It’s beautiful out here, wherever you are right now, I bet it’s not like this,” he added. “If you sign with the Giants, those are three potential championship winning teams right here in San Francisco,” Snead IV teased Judge.

Compare that to the Yankees corporate bore of a courting and reports surfacing that Judge feels the Yankees “turned the fans against him” at one point and there’s a real risk that he won’t be in pinstripes ever again.

As a reminder of how totally, dominant Judge was this season and how he ranked among his peers, “All Rise” became the first player to lead MLB in home runs, RBI, runs and extra base hits since the iconic Mickey Mantle in 1956. 

 

 

Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler says, “this is the most exciting time that I can remember. It feels like there’s a lot at stake for the game. We want to be an exciting brand at the winter meetings. Not just during the season.”

Aaron Judge Making The Yankees Come Correct 

AJ, who grew up in California, is really milking this situation, as he should, and the mystery surrounding his feelings heightens the theater for major league baseball. After all, this is the sport’s biggest story of the offseason, and they have to get every marketing and advertising advantage out of it. Football is starting to kick into high gear as teams begin to jostle for playoff positioning and the NBA is in full swing and about to dominate the headlines post-January. 

So, it’s all about Aaron Judge and whether or not he will leave the Yankees. If you try to read between the lines, the Yankees say they have made two offers.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Giants’ current offer to the reigning American League MVP is believed to be in the range of $360 million. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported last week the Yankees have an offer on the table worth around $300 million over eight years, but they could increase it depending on how far the Giants are willing to push the market.

If he does indeed want to finish his career in pinstripes, then you’d have to assume that the Yankees offers aren’t as attractive as San Francisco’s offer. How many times will Judge allow the Yankees to come with an offer that he feels is low balling his worth? Even if he doesn’t prefer the Giants, the Yankees don’t seem to be making it hard for him to decide to leave.