MLB insider: The only scenario where the Mets can steal Aaron Judge

One scenario remains where the Mets could sign Yankees looming free agent Aaron Judge, but it’s not necessarily a good one.

Aaron Judge is fresh off a 62-home run season and an AL East crown for a Yankees team still in the middle of a pennant race. Judge’s focus is solely on the task at hand, which makes him a perfect Yankee, when you think about it.

But what are the chances he leaves in free agency?

In a recent press conference, Brian Cashman said Judge made an all-time bet on himself. One quote stood out in particular, and it doesn’t sound great for New York.

“There’s a pot of gold but is yet to be determined what the gold, how much it weighs. But it is a pot of gold,” Cashman said.

Cashman did not say the Yankees couldn’t afford said pot of gold, but he did acknowledge that Judge will receive a lot of money from some lucky organization.

If the Yankees don’t land Aaron Judge, who will?

The San Francisco Giants are the greatest threat for Judge. He grew up a fan of the team, and Judge is from Linden, California, which is just about 80 miles from San Francisco. The Giants can afford Judge’s talents, especially after a down season. They are a team used to contending for the NL West.

When asked about who he considers the real home run king, Judge stated Barry Bonds, who he grew up watching by the Bay. It’s almost too perfect.

Yet, Judge has said all the right things about returning to the Yankees. It’s all up to Cashman and the Steinbrenner family to pay him what he’s worth.

How the Mets could sign Aaron Judge

FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray penned in an opinion piece that there’s only one realistic scenario in which Steve Cohen will fork over the amount of money necessary to steal Judge from the crosstown rival Yankees:

"“You can’t rule anything out with Steve Cohen. You just can’t. But the only scenario in which I see the Mets getting serious for Judge is if they lose deGrom in free agency and feel the need to spend big in free agency after an early playoff exit.”"

If deGrom were to sign with, say, the Rangers or Dodgers, then Cohen would feel the need to answer, or risk taking a significant step back next season.