Aaron Judge will start the 2023 Major League Baseball season in The Bronx, but will he do so as a member of the New York Yankees or San Francisco Giants?
The star right fielder sounded optimistic at the conclusion of the Bronx Bombers' season he will be back with the team he's played with for seven seasons, but that decision will ultimately be on whether or not the front office will break the bank for the American League MVP front-runner.
Judge could sign for as much as $500 million in free agency, according to Front Office Sports. The Yankees have Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson tied up to big contracts, but the New York fan base would likely revolt if the team loses Judge.
One team who is a favorite to sign the 30-year-old is the Giants. After missing out on postseason action to their National League West rivals, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, San Francisco is determined to not fall below in the division for a second straight year, and it believes signing Judge is the first step to remedy that.
"Judge is at the top of the Giants list, and they won’t be underbid," a person with knowledge of the Giants told NJ Advance Media. "If they miss out, it won't be because of money.
"The Giants are not going to stop with Judge. "They have so much money freed up."
This notion is correct. San Francisco doesn't have a ton of money tied up to significant players, and the front office appears willing to do everything possible to get back into title contention.
The Giants have a case to sign the Yankees slugger outside of money. Judge grew up a fan of the franchise and was born nearby San Francisco in Linden, Calif.
"The Giants are confident that they can sign Judge," the person told NJ Advance Media. "It will be interesting for sure."
San Francisco will reportedly be competing with their division rival in their pursuit of Judge. The Dodgers are seeking to add to their talented roster, and Mookie Betts is reportedly willing to move to second base if Judge were to sign in Los Angeles.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will also likely compete with the Mets, who some experts have linked Judge with and are another franchise willing to spend top dollar for Judge's services.
The last time the Giants won the World Series was 2014, and if Judge were to sign in San Francisco, it would be safe to call them one of the favorites in 2023.
