The Giants likely will be one of the teams with their eye on Aaron Judge this offseason, but the New York Yankees likely aren’t ready to move on from the slugger just yet.
In fact, the Yankees are feeling “confident” that they will sign and keep Judge once free agency begins on Thursday, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Monday, citing a Yankees executive.
Although New York’s hopes of keeping the American League home run king in the Bronx continue to fluctuate, the latest peak of hope appears to have come at the perfect time.
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Heyman also noted that Judge’s wife Samantha was seen running the New York City Marathon on Sunday, giving the slightest bit of optimism to Yankees fans.
The Yankees are expected to make Judge their No. 1 priority this offseason, with general manager Brian Cashman raving about what everyone with eyeballs already can see that he brings to the table.
But ultimately it comes down to dollar signs.
New York will be willing, per Heyman, to top Judge’s $36 million a year asking price from back in spring. Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension from the Yankees that would have given him one of the largest contracts in MLB history.
San Francisco Giants
But Judge believed he was worth more, and further proved so when he became the AL single-season home run king this season and was just named an American League MVP Award finalist for the second time in his career.
The good news for the Giants is that they’re willing to go big this offseason.
San Francisco could be one of Judge's landing spots if he decides to ditch the pinstripes for a Northern California homecoming as s star who has spent his entire MLB career nearly 3,000 miles away from home.
The Giants reportedly will be willing to spend "whatever it takes" to land Judge, and they won't stop there. San Francisco also plans on signing additional high-priced free agents.
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While a Giants person called the report that they would do whatever it takes to sign Judge “crazy," it’s pretty clear the big-market Giants will make a serious play.
Whether the Giants sign Judge or not, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and new GM Pete Putila are expected to have the team be players in the top end of the free-agent market regardless.
And it's clear both the Yankees and the Giants will have their checkbooks ready to go for the prized slugger.