SF Giants announcer questions recent report about Yankees star Aaron Judge
A recent report by NJ.com Yankees beat writer Randy Miller had SF Giants fans excited about the team's chances of landing star outfielder Aaron Judge in free agency. However, Giants announcer Dave Flemming expressed skepticism about the report in a recent radio appearance on KNBR.
Potential SF Giants free-agent target Aaron Judge watching a home run with the Yankees. (2022)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“That did not pass the smell test for me,” Flemming said during an appearance on The Murph and Mac Show on Monday. “It did not. Not to say it won’t happen, but this time of year I think so much of this stuff — and I’m not accusing anybody specifically — but the agents are out there and the agents are just so deliberate about who they use to float messages to get certain teams to feel that outside presser.”
Miller's first report cited a source claiming the Giants will spend "whatever it takes" to land Judge this offseason. The source cited the Giants struggles alongside added pressure from the success of the nearby Golden State Warriors. Then, Miller predicted the Giants will sign a pair of other prominent free agents alongside Judge.
Judge, of course, was the best hitter in MLB this season, leading the league in almost every major statistical offensive category and broke Roger Maris' single-season American League home run record with 62 home runs.
A Linden, CA native, Judge grew a massive Giants fan. Moreover, Judge and his wife's family still live in Linden, which could be an added incentive to leave the Yankees. Miller also reported that Judge's family did not appreciate Yankees fans booing Judge this postseason.
Last month, Flemming revealed that he had heard there was tension between Judge and the Yankees, mostly stemming from a contract offer the team made prior to the start of this season. That said, Flemming also revealed that he believed the Giants would only make one or two big moves in the offseason, less than the three or more that Miller recently predicted.
Flemming doubled down on Monday, saying “I do think they’re going to be aggressive, and not just one piece... So how do you [shake things up] without a lot of moves to make? You make a couple really impactful moves. And I do think that’s going to happen, but the idea that the Giants have no limit on Aaron Judge, and he’s the sole focus of their interest. That doesn’t sound right.”
So, Dave Flemming does not believe the SF Giants have a carte blanche guarantee to sign Aaron Judge, but there’s no need for fans to hang up their hats just yet. If the Yankees let Judge hit the open market, the Giants remain a top contender.
You can listen to Flemming's full radio appearance below:
