Heyman: Yankees see SF Giants as main competition for Aaron Judge

The offseason chatter is swirling to the point where several national writers and baseball insiders have speculated on Aaron Judge being a fit for the SF Giants. Jon Heyman of the New York Post threw his hat in the ring by saying that the Giants are viewed by the New York Yankees as one of the biggest threats if Judge signs elsewhere this offseason.

Heyman: Yankees see SF Giants as main competition for Aaron Judge

There are a lot of reasons why the Giants would want Judge as he has emerged as one of the best players of this generation. However, there are a few reasons why Judge would choose San Francisco as well.

The most important reason is money and the Giants will have a lot of cap space to spend this winter. The front office has not yet proven that it is keen on handing out lucrative contracts like the one Judge will receive, so ability to spend and willingness to spend are totally different narratives in this regard.

In Heyman's article, one rival executive confidently states that Judge's next contract will clear $300 million and could inch closer to $400 million. Heyman adds that $400 million could be a crossroads for the Yankees while identifying the biggest competitors for Judge.

"The current belief is that the Yankees prefer not to go to $40 million a year — or certainly not to $400 million total for Judge... The Yankees envision the main competition coming from the Giants and maybe the Cubs and Dodgers."

Of course the Dodgers could be in on the power-hitting outfielder. I was just thinking to myself that the Dodgers' lineup does not have nearly enough All-Stars.

On a serious note, they could be motivated to add a player like Judge after another disappointing postseason exit. However, Heyman adds that Los Angeles will likely prefer a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value. This could be a non-starter for Judge and his representatives.

Judge is in the midst of one of the more impressive seasons in recent memory. In 696 plate appearances, he slashed .311/.425/.686 (211 OPS+) with 62 home runs, 131 RBI, and 133 runs. This includes a 16.0 percent walk rate against a 25.1 percent strikeout rate.

Judge's home run output (62) set a new American League record. He earned his fourth All-Star appearance in 2022 and will be one of the heavy favorites to take home the American League MVP award.

The 30-year-old outfielder turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from the Yankees in spring training. He bet on himself and that is one bet that will pay massive dividends.