Aaron Judge may be headed to the San Francisco Giants. Or maybe he’s not. Either way, the Giants have reportedly set a very high bar for the free-agent slugger’s value.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the Giants have made a “big offer” to Judge, reportedly in the $360 million range.
That figure tops the New York Yankees’ offer of $300 million for eight years reported last week by ESPN. The Giants’ offer would likely be for nine years, in line with what Fox Sports and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported about Judge wanting at least nine years.
Heyman noted that despite the Giants’ lucrative offer, “the assumption/belief among rivals is that the Yankees remain favorites. Yankees are hopeful but say they still don’t know.”
The Yankees are the presumed favorite among many. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman even told reporters Monday “I have no idea,” when asked what he would do if Judge signs elsewhere, indicating he doesn’t even have a Plan B.
Judge reportedly met with the Giants several times before Thanksgiving. Bookies.com‘s updated odds put the Giants as the favorites to sign Judge, with a 46.5% chance he’ll go to the Bay Area. The Yankees (40%) are second, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (16.7%), Boston Red Sox (9.5%), and the field (6.3%).
The MLB world reacted to Heyman’s report with dubious feelings about Judge heading to the West Coast.
And with that California tax, that’s a no for Judge
— Chuck and the Creepy Baby from New Orleans (@guythanosddd) December 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/XenonSwift/status/1600204571619442688
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.