The Giants have been linked to a number of marquee stars over the years, but is this finally the offseason they land one?
After officially being eliminated from playoff contention following a 107-win season, it feels like time. It also just so happens that perhaps the best player in the major leagues may be available.
Aaron Judge, who has 61 home runs and 130 RBI this year, is set to hit free agency this offseason. Up until now, there have been reports here and there that the Giants might be at the top of the Central California native’s wish list.
On Tuesday, ESPN published a piece that will only fan the flames on those rumors. In a survey of MLB Insiders, three of them believe Judge is going to be hitting bombs in Oracle Park next season. Per ESPN:
And even more interesting, of the nine respondents to project a team Judge will end up with, four said he will stay with the Yankees, two have him going to the Mets, two said the Giants and one said the Giants or Dodgers. (More about that later.)
The piece should be enough to excite and scare (see: Dodgers) Giants fans. Still, most experts believe that Judge will stay in New York, and it’s easy to see why. It’s hard to believe that the highest profile franchise in MLB, in the biggest city in the country, would let the league’s most marketable player walk, similar to what the Red Sox did with Mookie Betts a few years ago.
If the Yankees drag their feet, however, it appears the Giants at least have an outside chance to land Judge. It also doesn’t hurt that the slugger is a big fan of Buster Posey, the newest member of the Giants’ front office.