Why Giants signing Judge would go against Pence's philosophy

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If the Giants sign New York Yankees star Aaron Judge in the offseason, it's safe to say Hunter Pence won't be a fan of the move.

In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Carmen Kiew and Cole Kuiper on "Summer Sunday," the former Giants outfielder said that if San Francisco wants to make a big splash in the offseason, Judge would be the guy they sign. However, Pence feels the Giants signing Judge would go against his personal notion on how a team should be built.

"I love Aaron Judge, I think he's a great leader, a great person," Pence said. "But it goes against my philosophy that you never put a ton of money in a position player."

Pence adds that the reason he feels this way is because the World Series-winning teams he was on beat opponents with stellar defense and lockdown pitching. Hence why he is more focused on the Giants building a solid rotation with a reliable bullpen in the offseason. 

"When you pitch, you win. Bottom line," Pence concluded. 

For Pence to say pitching wins ballgames holds merit. During the Giants' record-breaking 107-win campaign in 2021, San Francisco had a 3.24 ERA collectively -- second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers -- and gave up the fewest walks, per Baseball Reference.

Meanwhile, the Giants' 2012 and 2014 championship teams were sixth (3.68) and tied for 10th (3.50) in ERA, respectively. 

With Judge set to be a free agent this winter, San Francisco surely will be on his radar in the event he wants to have a homecoming. If Judge were to come to the Giants, he would come with a hefty price tag, considering the MVP-caliber season he has had so far.

RELATED: Pence to receive plaque, spot on Giants' Wall of Fame in Sept.

All that being said, even though Pence prefers pitching over power, if the Giants land Judge, fans would be more than happy with that transaction. 

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