Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees failed to agree to terms on a contract extension prior to the start of the regular season. Instead of letting that negatively affect his mindset, the All-Star outfielder has come out this year with something to prove.
In 54 games this season, Judge is hitting .311 with 22 home runs and 45 RBIs. He has to be considered the favorite to win MVP in the American League at this point in time.
Even though Judge has made it known that his focus is on bringing a World Series title back to the Bronx, there’s just no escaping all the noise about his future.
Judge will enter free agency as one of the most impactful hitters in the league, and if he keeps performing at this level, a bidding war should break out.
So, which team will New York have to be on the lookout for? According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Francisco Giants are being viewed as the “biggest threat” to sign Judge.
Judge, a California native, may have interest in returning to the West Coast.
Heyman also mentioned that potential suitors like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets have large payrolls and may not want to get involved in these sweepstakes. They can’t be dismissed though because they have aggressive owners.
To make a long story short, the Yankees will need to write a very large check for Judge this winter if they want him to remain the face of the franchise.