SF Giants beware: Dodgers reportedly preparing a run at Aaron Judge
The SF Giants worst-case scenario may be coming to fruition this offseason. According to a Tweet by Jon Heyman of MLB.com, there is a growing consensus around MLB that the Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing to pursue free-agent outfielder Aaron Judge heavily. Judge is the best available free agent this offseason and has been heavily tied to the Giants.
The SF Giants understood Aaron Judge could re-sign with the Yankees, but letting him sign with the Dodgers would be another level of pain.
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“Word going around now is Dodgers will make a run at Aaron Judge," Heyman wrote. "Logical with $100M now off the books with Bellinger, Kimbrel, Anderson, Heaney, Price and 2 Turners off the roster. Needs include SS, 3B, SPs, RP and now OF.” Heyman's tweet followed the Dodgers decision to non-tender former MVP outfielder Cody Bellinger.
This is not the first time the Dodgers have been tied to Judge. In October, it was reported by Mark Feinsand that they were interested in bringing on Judge if they cleared enough salary space. The Dodgers have done just that. Feinsand's report also mentioned that Mookie Betts would be willing to move back to the infield to accommodate Judge's acquisition.
Earlier this week, Judge was crowned AL MVP with 28 of 30 first-place votes. In his historic season, Judge set the American League single-season home run record with 62 blasts. He also led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, runs, RBI, walks, and total bases. He played in 157 games, stole 13 bases in 16 attempts, hit .311, and was intentionally walked nearly 20 times. He was the best player in the league.
The Yankees, who drafted and developed Judge out of Fresno State, certainly want to bring him back. He’s also been heavily linked to the Giants, with one report saying the team planned to spend "whatever it takes" to bring him to San Francisco. Judge grew up a Giants fan and is from Linden, California. But Los Angeles is closer to Linden than New York as well.
The Dodgers, who have had consistent offseason success with their star-studded roster, were expected to rebuild a lot of their squad this offseason with so many key players hitting free agency. However, many expected them to prioritize re-signing current players.
Instead, they’ve shaved a lot off their payroll and have only retained Clayton Kershaw thus far. They declined a club option for third baseman Justin Turner while other players like pitcher Tyler Anderson and infielder Trea Turner became free agents and turned down qualifying offers. The result: $100 million dollars off the books they can use to go after another big name.
With the Dodgers getting into the race, the pressure could certainly be mounting for SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and his front office to make a big offer to Aaron Judge. The Giants have admitted no player is financially out of reach for them to bring on in the offseason. Despite all the excitement, the negotiations between teams and players have only just begun, and fans can expect to see deals made closer to the Winter Meetings (December 4-7th).
