Cole Kuiper and Alex Pavlovic discuss Aaron Judge’s historic 2022 season and how even though the “consensus” is that the Yankees can’t let Judge leave, there’s a possibility he could sign with the Giants this offseason.
As the 2022 MLB season arrives at its final week, all eyes are on Aaron Judge.
Sitting at 60 home runs, the New York Yankees slugger is one dinger away from tying Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season by an American League player (61). Alerts are being sent to phones every time he steps up to the plate. Broadcasts are doing live cut-ins during games -- no matter the sport -- to air Judge's at-bats for a chance to witness history.
For Giants fans, however, the conversation around Judge is all about his next destination this offseason. Judge will become an unrestricted free agent at the season's conclusion and is on the verge of a massive payday.
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SIGN UP HERE Could that big check be written by the Giants' front office? Multiple MLB insiders believe there's a chance.
In an ESPN article published Tuesday, 14 league insiders projected what Judge's next contract would look like, and nine included their choice for which jersey Judge will be wearing next season.
Three of those nine analysts predicted the Giants would lure Judge to the Bay this offseason, with one of those three saying it'd be either the Giants or rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Judge staying home with the Yankees was the most popular choice with four votes. Two others predicted Judge would take the subway across town and sign with the New York Mets.
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In terms of what the next deal would be? The shortest contract was a seven-year deal worth $259 million, and the cheapest was a 10-year contract worth $265 million. The longest and most expensive contract forecast was a 10-year deal worth $375 million.
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For reference, the most lucrative deal in MLB history was a 12-year, $426.5 million contract signed by Mike Trout in March of 2019.
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi hasn't been one to hand out long, expensive contracts over his Giants tenure. But Judge, a Linden, Calif., native on the verge of making history, might be worth the price tag.