Mark Feinsand believes there are two potential outcomes of Aaron Judge’s free agency that would be particularly compelling.
Judge leaving the Yankees but staying in New York to sign with the Mets obviously would send shockwaves across Major League Baseball, and it’s a move that can’t be ruled out given Steve Cohen’s penchant for big moves. But perhaps equally captivating would be the superstar slugger staying put in the American League East to ink a deal with the Red Sox, the Bronx Bombers’ fiercest rival.
Boston has the money to land Judge and it’s easy to envision the four-time All-Star doing all sorts of damage at Fenway Park. But as Feinsand explained in a column published Sunday to MLB.com, we probably shouldn’t count on Judge sporting a Red Sox uniform come April.
“This might be the juiciest option,” Feinsand wrote of Judge potentially landing in Boston. “Judge defecting from New York to Boston would instantly make him the biggest figure in this rivalry since some guy named Ruth. Boston had a disappointing 2022 season, and while the Red Sox have a significant amount of money coming off the books this winter, they are more likely to shell out a nine-figure extension to Rafael Devers than to pay Judge. For what it’s worth, Judge didn’t dismiss the idea when asked about it last month, telling reporters, ‘We’ll talk about that at the end of the year.’ Hey Aaron, it’s the end of the year.”
Fellow league insider Jeff Passan provided a similar assessment, arguing Boston effectively would be out of the Judge sweepstakes if it prioritizes extending Devers. Oddsmakers aren’t terribly bullish on the 30-year-old ending up with the Red Sox either, as four teams (not including the Yankees) have shorter odds at PointsBet to be Judge’s next team.
At this point, it seems like Judge will either stick around in the Big Apple or head west to play in his native California.
