After blasting 62 home runs to break the American League single-season record, New York Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge is set to reach free agency for the first time in his career, and he is going to be the top player on the market.
The likely 2022 AL MVP suggested his preference may be to re-sign with the Yankees, but the two sides have yet to reach an agreement, and as seen with Freddie Freeman last season, anything can happen in free agency.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will surely find themselves in the mix for the game’s premier home run hitter, but he will have a robust market of teams interested, which reportedly includes the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants appear determined to land a superstar for their lineup, and according to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, they are prepared to beat any offer for Judge:
The Giants have targeted Judge and are prepared to spend whatever it takes, a person with knowledge of the Giants’ thinking told NJ Advance Media after meeting with members of the franchise’s ownership group. The person, who isn’t authorized to speak on behalf of the team, was granted anonymity.
“Judge is at the top of the Giants list and they won’t be underbid,” the person said. “If they miss out, it won’t be because of money.”
On the surface, the fit is a strange one for Judge and the Giants. Judge will be 31 years old next season, which makes him one of the older star players available, and the Giants already have the seventh-oldest roster in MLB despite not being a highly competitive team.
Oracle Park is also a pitcher’s haven that would limit some of the value Judge brings. But regardless, Judge is one of baseball’s most talented players on both sides of the ball, and he would bring much-needed skill and star power to a lineup that is sorely lacking it.
Judge is likely going to sign a contract with a length of seven or more years and an average annual value of around $40 million per season, which would place him among the game’s highest-paid players.
New York Mets ace Max Scherzer currently has the highest average annual value of $43 million while Mike Trout has the highest for a position player at $35 million.
Mookie Betts would embrace position change for Aaron Judge
Although the Dodgers have Mookie Betts locked into right field, the 30-year-old reportedly is willing to move to second base and would do so if the Dodgers signed Judge in free agency.
The Boston Red Sox drafted Betts as a second baseman, but he moved to the outfield to accommodate Dustin Pedroia. Betts started once at second base during the 2020 season, then moved to the infield for seven games (five starts) in each of the past two seasons.
The Dodgers have viewed moving Betts to second base as a means of managing his health, so it may be beneficial to play him there more often over the length of his contract.
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