Fansided

Yankees biggest threat to sign Aaron Judge appears hellbent on pursuit

By Rylie Smith

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 23: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros in game four of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 23, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 23: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros in game four of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 23, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco Giants are on a mission to steal Yankees star Aaron Judge, and they’ll reportedly throw in whatever amount of money is needed.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was one of the most elite hitters in MLB during the regular season, and now that he’s approaching free agency, several teams dream of adding him to their roster. The San Francisco Giants are set on making that a reality, and they’re ready to go all out.

According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, “The Giants have targeted Judge and are prepared to spend whatever it takes, a person with knowledge of the Giants’ thinking told NJ Advance Media after meeting with members of the franchise’s ownership group.”

The source, who remains anonymous, also reportedly said, “Judge is at the top of the Giants list and they won’t be underbid. If they miss out, it won’t be because of money.”

The Giants are in a tough division and it would be smart for them to dish out money to promising players if they want to be competitive with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the up-and-coming San Diego Padres.

The Giants missed the playoffs this season, and their lineup wasn’t anything that stood out. Signing Judge and another “high-priced free agent,” as they expect to do according to Miller, could certainly help give them an advantage next season.

The Giants could benefit strongly from signing Aaron Judge

During the regular season, the Giants definitely proved they didn’t have a great lineup. Though it wasn’t the worst in the league, it certainly has a lot of room for improvement. They finished the season with the eighth-worst batting average (.234), 15th-best on-base percentage (.315), 16th-best slugging percentage (.390) and 13th-best OPS (.705).

Joc Pederson was their best hitter, but he wasn’t the most consistent. He started the season in April slashing a great .353/.382/.745 and consistently went downhill until July when he hit .133/.221/.200. He redeemed himself over August and September slashing .339/.417/.613 by the end of September. He hit the most homers on the team (23).

Judge would help bring much needed power to the lineup on any team regardless of how good their lineup may or may not be.

He chased a triple crown, the most elite award any MLB player can earn, and barely fell short. He set a new AL home run record after 61 years and led the league in several stats during the regular season, including runs (133), homers (62), total bases (391), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111) and WAR (10.6). He also tied with Pete Alonso for most RBIs (131).

His postseason was far from favorable, but his regular season numbers were so good that they shouldn’t be discounted. He was consistent during the regular season, which is what the Giants need. Any team would be lucky to have Judge in their lineup, and the Giants are smart to invest whatever they need to in him.

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