Aaron Judge rumors: Surprise team named as potential destination

There will be no shortage of teams interested in free agent to-be Aaron Judge. But could the Minnesota Twins actually make a play for the New York Yankees slugger?

Aaron Judge is having an MVP-type season for the New York Yankees. The three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year is looking to add another trophy to his case later this year. The Yankees are also the top team in the American League and looking like World Series contenders.

But if the Bronx Bombers allow Judge to enter free agency this offseason, teams are likely to come out of the woodwork with aspirations of signing the slugger to a massive deal.

While teams like San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets are sure to be among the suitors looking to sign the superstar this offseason, a surprise team has emerged as well.

The Minnesota Twins are rumored to be interested in signing Aaron Judge.

According to ESPN insider Buster Olney (subscription required), the Minnesota Twins are a surprise team that could emerge in the Aaron Judge sweepstakes in the event that the outfielder and the New York Yankees are unable to come to terms on a new agreement before the offseason.

Olney sees the Twins as unlikely to sign Judge, but no one assumed that Minnesota would ink Carlos Correa to a three-year contract this past offseason. Correa’s market never developed as he had hoped, and the Twins became the shortstop’s contingency plan when all the suitors abandoned ship.

Correa has an opt-out clause in his contract after the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and before Minnesota could even enter the Aaron Judge conversation, they’d have to be assured that Correa would not return next season with a price tag of $35.1M.

The Aaron Judge saga will be one to follow throughout the season and into the winter. There’s still a chance that Judge and Yankees can come to terms on a long-term extension, but the two sides are still apart on the numbers.