Aaron Judge Trade? Yankees And Angels Reportedly Have Had ‘Flirtations’

All rise, Angels fans?

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels reportedly discussed a potential Aaron Judge trade last offseason, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Sunday night. A deal involving the superstar outfielder, who will be a free agent after the 2023 season, never got close to happening, however.

Here’s an excerpt from Olney’s column:

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels very briefly talked about Aaron Judge in offseason trade conversations, but nothing advanced; rather, it was the lightest of flirtations, and perhaps a door-opener for other names. Teams talk all the time about a wide range of players, from their best to their least accomplished.

But soon enough, the Yankees will be face to face with the decision of whether to invest long-term in Judge, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2023 season. In 2017, he clubbed 52 homers, drew 127 walks and posted a 1.049 OPS. In the 258 games since then — played over the full seasons of 2018 and 2019, the 60-game season of ’20, and the sprinkling of games this year — Judge has 67 homers and .914 OPS.

Is this the first step toward an eventual Aaron Judge trade sweepstakes? Your guess is as good as ours, but it’s a storyline at least worth keeping an eye on.

Judge, 29, is off to a so-so start for the struggling Yankees. Through 19 games, the star slugger is hitting .246 with four home runs and eight RBIs. From 2018 through 2020, Judge missed 142 games due to various injuries.