Yankees reach 9-year deal with Judge (source)

Aaron Judge is a free agent for the first time in his career, and MLB.com is tracking the latest rumors surrounding the 30-year-old slugger.

Read all about Judge here.

Dec. 7: Yankees reach 9-year deal with Judge (source)
The Yankees and Aaron Judge have agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. More >

Dec. 6: Giants' offer to Judge reportedly around $360M
The Giants have an offer on the table "believed to be [in the] $360 [million] neighborhood" for Judge, reports MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. However, the belief among rivals is that the Yankees remain the favorites, Heyman notes.

MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi doesn’t think we’ll have to wait much longer to find out Judge’s free-agent decision.

“It’s not definite that it’s going to happen this week … but from what I can tell from sources, the cards are on the table right now,” Morosi said Tuesday morning at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. “Many people in the industry believe he already has a nine-year offer in hand, that both the Giants and the Yankees are above -- or at, at least -- $300 million.

“To be honest, the question now comes, what does Aaron Judge want to do? If the difference is between $330 [million] and $340 [million], or numbers a little north or south of that, at that point it just becomes a question of, what is his dream? What does he view for the next chapter of his life and of his career. And I think really Aaron Judge and his close family are probably the only people who truly know the answer to that question.”

Judge’s remarks to TIME Magazine in an article that was published Tuesday also raised some questions about the slugger’s feelings about the Yankees. Judge was miffed that the team publicly announced the seven-year $213.5 million extension offer he turned down prior to Opening Day.

“We kind of said, ‘Hey, let’s keep this between us.’ I was a little upset that the numbers came out. I understand it’s a negotiation tactic. Put pressure on me. Turn the fans against me, turn the media on me. That part of it I didn’t like.”

Another interesting tidbit from the article? Judge, a Linden, Calif., native, predicted to his future wife Samantha Bracksieck in high school that in 10 years he’d be playing for the hometown Giants. He now has a chance to make that prediction come true.

“If you wanted to script a story setup that ends with Aaron Judge leaving the Yankees for the Giants, it would look exactly like where we are this morning,” Morosi said. “It would be the failed negotiations around Opening Day -- clearly, still some hard feelings about the way that played out -- and now the team he grew up rooting for is about to offer or has offered a record-setting contract.

“It’s not difficult at all to imagine that this ends with Aaron Judge as a San Francisco Giant.”

Judge was briefly reported to have accepted the Giants' offer on Tuesday. The report was later retracted.

Dec. 5: Red Sox have been in touch with Judge
Could a division rival challenge the Yankees in their continued efforts to re-sign the AL MVP?

Judge is reportedly among the multiple top free agents the Red Sox have touched base with, writes Chris Cotillo for MassLive.

Judge would fill a gap for the Red Sox, whose 2023 outfield picture remains uncertain, but the club is also interested in bolstering their starting rotation, as reported by Chad Jennings in The Athletic (subscription required), and remains engaged with Xander Bogaerts.

With recent reports that Judge may already have at least one nine-year offer in hand and other gaps on the roster, it remains unlikely that Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox would be willing to meet those demands.

Dec. 5: Latest on Judge's market; new offer in hand?
Reporting from the Winter Meetings, MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi provided new details on where things stand in the Judge sweepstakes before the superstar slugger makes his expected arrival in San Diego on Tuesday.

First, Morosi reports that the price for Judge is "certainly above $300 million now, potentially from two different teams -- the Yankees and Giants." Secondly, Morosi added that some in the industry believe Judge already has a nine-year contract offer in hand.

"His market is now over that line of $300 million plus and nine years," Morosi said on Hot Stove.

It's not clear which team has presented such an offer, but Morosi thinks the Giants "are going to have to be the clear top bidder" in order to land the AL single-season home run king.

While the Yanks and Giants are indeed the teams most prominently involved with Judge, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Monday that other interested teams "remain on the periphery."

There is "a chance" that Judge signs a new contract before the Winter Meetings end on Wednesday, according to Morosi, and barring the appearance of a mystery team, the 31-year-old is left with a simple but profound choice.

"Aaron Judge is going to have his choice, I believe, between two offers of $300 million plus," Morosi said. "And once you get to that neighborhood, the question really comes to what it is that you want to do."

Dec. 3: Judge deal likely to be for nine years (report)
While the Yankees reportedly offered Judge a contract in the range of eight years and $300 million to remain with New York, Ken Rosenthal writes in an article for The Athletic (subscription required) that Judge will likely land a nine-year pact with whichever team he signs with.

"A nine-year deal for Judge, who turns 31 on April 26, would take him through his age-39 season," Rosenthal writes. "The Yankees might need to decide if they are comfortable offering that long a contract to retain their star outfielder. Judge, in turn, might face a decision about whether he wants to leave the Yankees for one extra guaranteed year."

If New York is unwilling to go nine years with Judge, a team like the Giants, reportedly the Yanks' chief competition for Judge, could potentially offer a longer contract to land him, much like the Rangers did by offering Jacob deGrom five years over the three the Mets reportedly offered.

Dec. 3: Why deGrom deal could be bad news for Yankees’ pursuit of Judge
Friday night was a reminder that anything is possible once a player hits free agency and gains the ability to sign anywhere. The Mets were hoping to re-sign Jacob deGrom, but they reportedly never got to the stage of presenting him with their final offer before he reached a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers.

As MLB Network insider Joel Sherman writes in an article for the New York Post, the Rangers’ move “offered the blueprint by which Aaron Judge could leave the Yankees. Namely, a desperate organization with lots to spend making an offer that can’t be refused and won’t be matched, even by a New York team.”

In Judge’s case, the Giants are the biggest threat to sign a franchise icon away from the Big Apple. As Sherman points out, the Giants have a lot in common with the Rangers, with money to spend, a lack of recent success and concerns about sagging attendance figures. Moreover, deGrom's deal could influence Judge’s asking price.

“In Spring Training, Judge suggested he should be paid annually on par with Mike Trout’s position record of $35.5 million,” Sherman writes. “Now, it is hard to believe that he won’t top deGrom’s $37 million, on a considerably longer contract. Will it be $40 million? Will it be more than [Max] Scherzer’s [MLB record $43.3 million average annual value]?”

Dec. 1: Morosi puts chances of Judge to SF at close to 50/50
Judge has an offer on the table "in the neighborhood of eight years and $300 million” from the Yankees, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required), but negotiations may only be just getting started.

While Passan notes that the Yanks could increase their offer “depending on how far the San Francisco Giants -- the other top suitor -- are willing to push the market," MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi isn’t ruling out the possibility of the Giants winning out in the end.

“The Giants are a very realistic possibility,” Morosi said Thursday on MLB Network. “This is not a Yankees at 70% likelihood and the Giants at 30. I think that we are very close to 50/50, where if the Giants really step up and get that AAV up closer to $40 million a year, there’s a legitimate chance that Aaron Judge becomes a San Francisco Giant."

Of course, money is not the only consideration for Judge, who has made it clear how much he values winning. For the Giants to win the Judge sweepstakes, Morosi thinks they’ll also need to lay out their plan to build around him. The Giants won a franchise-record 107 games in 2021, but they fell to 81-81 last season and need to address holes all over the diamond, including at both corner-infield spots and in the rotation.

“I really believe that Aaron Judge won’t sign with the Giants unless there is a credible and actionable plan to put a winning team around him that can get to the postseason,” Morosi said. “I don’t think Aaron Judge will take on all that pressure and expectation of going across the country if he looks at the roster and says, ‘We’re going to finish .500 and behind the Dodgers and Padres.’

“They’re going to have to -- whether it’s Kodai Senga or one of the infielders -- do something that validates Judge’s faith. And that is where I think [Giants president of baseball operations] Farhan Zaidi has to come up with a comprehensive plan in the next week to 10 days that shows Aaron Judge you’re not just going to come here and make a lot of money, you’re going to come here and win and make the playoffs in 2023.”

Nov. 30: Judge has record-setting offer from Yanks (report)
As is well known by now, Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension from the Yankees in March, bet on himself this season and has now set himself up to earn an even bigger payday following a year in which he was named AL MVP.

The Yankees have indeed upped their offer to the face of their franchise. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan (subscription required), New York has offered Judge a contract "in the neighborhood of eight years and $300 million and could increase it, depending on how far the San Francisco Giants -- the other top suitor -- are willing to push the market."

An eight-year, $300 million deal carries an annual average value of $37.5 million, which would be the highest in the sport for any position player. Mike Trout currently holds the top spot with an AAV of $35.5 million.

"Across the industry, the expectation is that Judge re-signs, but it's worth remembering: The last time the highest-paid free agent remained with his current team was Yoenis Cespedes with the Mets in 2016," Passan wrote. "And before that, it was Matt Holliday in 2009."

No matter whether Judge agrees to terms with the Yankees, Giants or perhaps some other club, the expectation is that he will make his final decision before the Winter Meetings end on Dec. 7, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

"Judge, to me, is likely a Yankees-or-Giants decision," Morosi said on Tuesday. "... So I think the clarity of Judge's market and the relatively binary choice that he has will help him decide by the end of next week. I've always believed that he's going to be able to sign by the end of the Winter Meetings, and I've had nothing in the last several days to suggest that it's going to go beyond that."

Nov. 28: Dodgers deciding between Judge and Ohtani?
Judge knows the Yankees want him back. He knows the Giants are interested in him as well after meeting with them over multiple days last week. Now that Thanksgiving weekend is over, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi expects Judge and his representatives to spend the next few days gauging where another big-market team stands in the race.

According to Morosi, the Dodgers have interest in Judge and are weighing the option of moving Mookie Betts to second base to make room for Judge in right field. In that scenario, Gavin Lux would slide over to shortstop to take the place of free agent Trea Turner. A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand in October that Betts is open to moving back to the infield, where he played at the start of his professional career.

However, it remains to be seen if the Dodgers will be willing to go anywhere near the $300 million threshold with their offer. Los Angeles typically has a preference for shorter-term deals with high average annual values. The club also already has Betts signed through 2032 and is pursuing high-priced rotation targets such as Justin Verlander.

The Dodgers have had roughly $100 million come off their books since the World Series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll go all in this offseason. One major consideration for Los Angeles? Shohei Ohtani is eligible to reach free agency a year from now.

“This, to me, is a two-year process for the Dodgers,” Morosi said Monday on MLB Network. “If you’re going to go big time for a free agent in the next couple offseasons, is it Aaron Judge now, or Shohei Ohtani a year from now? They probably can’t have both in terms of the overall exposure financially -- big picture, they’ve already got Mookie and Freddie Freeman long term -- but when you look at the dynamics of the Dodgers’ payroll and the amount of money that’s come off the books … they’ve got a lot of money to work with right now.

“They have to now decide, do you go in there and try to compete with the Giants and Yankees at more than $30 million a year for Judge now, or do you wait, let one of your two rivals there make the decision on Judge this offseason and maybe have a better chance to bring in Shohei a year from now?”

Nov. 24: Do Yanks 'hold edge' in Judge pursuit?
While the Giants recently met with Judge in San Francisco, and the Dodgers have the financial muscle to add him to their lineup, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman writes in an article for the New York Post that it's the Yankees who "hold the edge" when it comes to signing the superstar slugger.

Heyman writes that the argument that San Francisco has an advantage given that Judge's hometown of Linden, Calif., is two hours away from Oracle Park is "specious." He adds that Oracle Park isn't exactly a home run haven, even though most of Judge's homers are mammoth drives and would leave any ballpark in the Majors.

With respect to the Dodgers, Heyman writes that Los Angeles' primary need is a shortstop with Trea Turner on the free-agent market, and even if the solution is in-house, Judge's price may be more than the Dodgers are willing to pay as they seek to reduce payroll.

That leaves the Yankees as Judge's biggest suitors, and Heyman argues that they hold the edge in terms of "legacy, ballpark and familiarity."

Nov. 24: Yanks still optimistic about Judge pursuit despite Giants meeting
Although Judge had a much publicized meeting with the Giants earlier this week, the Yankees remain optimistic that they’ll be able to re-sign the superstar slugger, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for the New York Post.

“The Yankees feel pretty good (or as good as they can now) about their chances to retain Judge despite the public start of his free-agency tour with the deep-pocketed Giants,” Heyman writes.

Meanwhile, the Bronx Bombers “are simultaneously pursuing many top free-agent starting pitchers, shortstops, and other outfielders.”

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said at the Owners Meetings earlier this month that he has assured Judge the Yankees have the money to re-sign him and make additional moves.

“My budget for Judge is going to be what I feel we can do,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not limitless, obviously. But am I going to make moves before we’re able to -- in my opinion, we’re going to be able to sign Aaron. That’s not going to stop me from signing other people.”

Nov. 23: Giants' pitch to Judge included Steph Curry (report)
The Giants had an opportunity to give their free-agent pitch to Judge the past two days, and they reportedly looked to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry for an assist.

NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Judge and his agent had dinner with president/CEO Larry Baer, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, manager Gabe Kapler and other members of the organization on Monday and continued to meet with the team on Tuesday.

The Giants also put Judge in touch with Curry's camp, with the hope that “the two superstars could connect as Judge weighs his decision.” Curry, who has spent his entire career with the Warriors, can offer the unique perspective on what it's like to be a star athlete in the Bay Area.

MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi expects the Giants to make a formal offer to Judge within the week, perhaps setting up the slugger to make his decision sooner rather than later.

“I believe that once Aaron Judge knows where at least the initial Giants offer comes in -- and I do believe one is forthcoming -- that there will be a fairly robust conversation here to where we could see Aaron Judge signing with a team within the next two weeks, by the end of the Winter Meetings,” Morosi said Wednesday on MLB Network. “So I think that’s kind of where we stand here, where this is not going to be a February decision. I would expect this to be a December decision, and it could even happen before the end of the Winter Meetings in his home state of California.”

The recruiting pitch extended to social media on Tuesday night, as San Francisco outfielder Joc Pederson took to Instagram and sent out an image depicting Judge in a Giants uniform. "We’re ready when u are 99," the graphic read.

Nov. 22: Will Judge sign richest FA contract ever?
Aaron Judge met with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. We know he has an updated contract offer in hand from the Yankees, but with Judge now seeing what else is out there for him, Tuesday's meeting "officially kicks off the Aaron Judge sweepstakes," according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. And the record-setting slugger appears set to potentially break more records as a free agent.

The Athletic's Jayson Stark said on Tuesday's edition of MLB Now that he is "confident" Judge will set the new bar for the highest annual average value given to a position player. Mike Trout is currently at the top of that list, making $35.54 million per year. Judge should best that number easily; Feinsand said Tuesday that the AL home run king is looking for a contract "in excess of $40 million a year" over eight seasons.

But will Judge also sign the biggest contract given to any free agent in terms of total value? Bryce Harper holds that record with his $330 million deal with the Phillies from 2019. And the answer hinges heavily on just how many years Judge's next team -- the Yankees, Giants or anyone else -- is willing to give the prolific slugger.

An eight-year deal would take Judge through his age-38 season and would require more than $41 million per year if Judge is intent on topping Harper's number. A 10-year pact would end following Judge's age-40 campaign.

"There's no doubt that [Giants president of baseball operations] Farhan Zaidi knows that 10 years for a guy this age, this size doesn't make logical sense," Stark said. "But is this going to be logical?"

The Giants have the financial flexibility to make almost any number Judge wants fit inside their books; they currently have just $17.5 million in payroll commitments for 2024. But on the other hand, will the Yankees really be outbid for their homegrown superstar?

"He's positioned to be Mickey Mantle," Stark exclaimed. "... [The Yankees] have known that this Aaron Judge free agency was coming. And whether it turns out to be the AAV of $38 million or $39 million or $40 million, whatever it is, they knew this was coming. How could they not have budgeted for this?"

Nov. 22: Judge set to meet with Giants
Aaron Judge will meet with the Giants on Tuesday, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. San Francisco is expected to be one of the biggest threats to the Yankees in the Judge sweepstakes.

Judge landed in San Francisco on Monday, according to video from MLB Network, though he said with a smile that he was "just visiting some family and friends, that's about it."

The Giants will be the second team Judge has met with to discuss his baseball future. He previously met with Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and received an updated contract offer. Feinsand adds that the Dodgers are expected to pursue Judge, and that his list of suitors may end with just those three teams.

"I don't know how many teams beyond that really get into this," Feinsand said. "[Judge] is looking for a huge contract -- eight years, in excess of $40 million a year. There aren't that many teams than can really, legitimately get into this sweepstakes."

Nov. 18: Dodgers 'will make a run at' Judge (report)
After reports surfaced that the Dodgers would non-tender center fielder and former NL MVP Cody Bellinger, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that "word going around now is the Dodgers will make a run at" Judge.

Heyman reasons that with Bellinger off the roster, along with Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Craig Kimbrel, David Price, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney, the Dodgers, who already had the financial might to make a run at a free agent of Judge's caliber, may now be even more inclined to do it.

Nov: 18: Judge meets with Yanks, Steinbrenner
Superstar free agent Aaron Judge recently met with Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner -- a meeting that went well, according to general manager Brian Cashman, who addressed Judge's free agency at his annual Sleep Out on Thursday.

Not only that, the Yankees have made Judge an updated offer from the one he turned down at the beginning of the season, Cashman confirmed.

"It’s in real time, so we’re on the clock," Cashman said of the team's effort to bring back Judge. "We’re certainly not going to mess around. We’ve made another offer since Spring Training."

Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from the Yankees before Opening Day.

Nov. 16: Signs that Judge may re-sign with Yanks?
While the Judge camp has been very quiet in the earliest days of this offseason, there are some signs that the slugging superstar could remain a Yankee, according to MLB Network insider Joel Sherman in an article for the New York Post.

Sherman cites three reasons that may be cause for cautious optimism for Yankees fans: Anthony Rizzo will be back, owner Hal Steinbrenner has publicly stated that bringing Judge back is his No. 1 priority, and there isn't a shred of evidence so far -- even as early in the offseason as it is -- that Judge's camp has connected with any other team.

"Judge is not going to make a multi-hundred-million-dollar decision based on where his friends play," Sherman writes. " ... But signing Anthony Rizzo is, at minimum for the Yankees, like sipping chicken soup when ill -- it can’t hurt. Rizzo is friend and confidant to Judge; someone the slugger would want back to share the clubhouse and leadership."

On the topic of Steinbrenner, Sherman suggests that "this feels more similar to when Steinbrenner made his offseason about one player -- signing Gerrit Cole after the 2019 season, re-signing DJ LeMahieu after 2020 -- and was laser focused to that aim. Steinbrenner is normally publicly reticent. But in this instance, he is on the record that retaining Judge is his obsession."

And regarding how quiet the Judge camp has been so far, Sherman writes that "if Judge’s goal really is to stay a Yankee, then he knows to follow the Jeter edict -- never even be connected talking to another team, so as to keep the relationship with the fans as pure as possible."

Nov. 15: Payroll ‘not gonna stop’ Yanks in pursuit of Judge
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear at the Owners Meetings in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday that the team isn't about to let budgetary constraints get in the way of its pursuit of Aaron Judge.

“We know where we’re at,” Steinbrenner said of the team’s payroll, per a story from the New York Post. “I can tell you, that’s not gonna stop us.”

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Steinbrenner said he met with Judge one-on-one earlier this offseason and has spoken to him multiple times in the past few weeks.

“I just want him to know how I felt,” Steinbrenner said. “In case there was any lack of clarity or ambiguity.”

Steinbrenner assured Judge the Yankees have the money to re-sign him and make additional moves.

“My budget for Judge is going to be what I feel we can do,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not limitless, obviously. But am I going to make moves before we’re able to -- in my opinion, we’re going to be able to sign Aaron. That’s not going to stop me from signing other people.”

The Bronx Bombers re-signed another big free agent Tuesday night, inking Anthony Rizzo to a two-year, $34 million contract after the first baseman opted out of his previous deal.

It's widely expected that Judge's next deal will be for $300 million or more. A recent prediction from MLBTradeRumors put the number at $332 million over eight years.

With Rizzo on the books, FanGraphs currently projects a $207 million payroll for the Yankees in 2023, with a $223M Competitive Balance Tax figure. The first CBT threshold is set at $233 million for 2023.

Nov. 14: Steinbrenner: Captain Judge 'something we would consider'
Naming Aaron Judge as the Yankees’ next captain “is something we would consider” if the free-agent slugger returns, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in an interview that aired on Monday on the YES Network. More >

Nov. 11: Steinbrenner: Judge talks 'very positive'
In a recent interview with YES Network, Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said he has had multiple conversations with Judge since the end of the club’s postseason run, adding that those talks have been “very positive.”

Steinbrenner also said in the interview, which will air in its entirety Monday, he made it clear to Judge that the Yankees want him to remain in pinstripes and that they will do "everything we can to make that happen."

General manger Brian Cashman said at this week’s GM Meetings in Las Vegas that he has been in contact with Judge’s agent, Page Odle. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he has exchanged a couple of text messages with the slugger since season’s end and remains hopeful for his return.

Nov. 11: Could the Yankees lose Judge?
The Yankees remain the favorites for Judge, according to MLB Network insider Joel Sherman. But as Sherman writes in the New York Post (subscription required), now that free agency is in full swing and Judge has the ability to negotiate with any team, the possibility of him signing elsewhere becomes very real.

According to Sherman, "it was not difficult to find executives and scouts who believe he will land elsewhere," at this week's GM Meetings in Las Vegas. So where might "elsewhere" be? Sherman runs through some options, including the Dodgers, but notes that, "this is about the Giants," with San Francisco having the motivation and financial might to make a strong push.

Ultimately, though, much will depend on how open Judge is to leaving the Yankees, as well as how far the club is willing to go to keep him.

Nov. 9: Looking to be very active, Giants could go after 'big boys'
The Giants are planning to be big players in free agency this offseason, reports MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

“The Giants are expected to be very aggressive, and folks who have met with them expect them to try to sign two outfielders and a big starter,” writes Heyman in an article for the New York Post.

Will one of those outfielders be Judge? It’s been widely speculated that the Giants would make a run at the California kid, and Heyman notes that the Yankees view San Francisco as their top competition for the free-agent slugger.

After winning 107 games in 2021, the Giants fell to 81-81 and missed the postseason in 2022. The club has a number of holes to fill with lefty ace Carlos Rodón, outfielder Joc Pederson and first baseman Brandon Belt all hitting free agency.

To land Judge, the Giants may need to double the largest contract in franchise history -- Buster Posey's $167 million deal signed in 2013.

Granted, the Giants have shown a willingness in the recent past to add big money to the payroll. They tried to acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins, and they were also in the mix for Bryce Harper before the outfielder signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies.

One agent told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that they expect the Giants to spend big this offseason.

“The Giants are ready to write checks," the agent said. "I think they’re going to go after some big boys.”

Nov. 8: Yanks confident in Judge’s return?
The Yankees and Mets both had franchise cornerstones reach free agency in recent days, with Judge hitting the market Sunday and Jacob deGrom opting out of his contract Monday. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman gets the sense that Judge is more likely to return than deGrom.

Writing for the New York Post, Heyman reports that one Yanks executive said he felt more “confident” now than he had previously about the team’s chances of re-signing Judge, while those who have spoken to the Mets recently got the impression the team is pessimistic about bringing back deGrom.

The belief is that the Yanks are willing to top the $36 million per year asking price Judge set in the spring. But if deGrom is looking to exceed Max Scherzer’s record average annual value ($43.3 million), “the strong indications are that it will not be with the Mets,” Heyman writes.

Heyman adds that “it’s pretty clear” the Giants will make a serious play for Judge, though a source from San Francisco told the MLB Network insider that the idea the club will do whatever it takes to sign the California native is “crazy.” So even if the Giants do enter the fray, it may be tough for them to top the Yankees' best offer.

Nov. 6: Could Cubs make a run at Judge?
Judge on the Cubs? Don't rule it out, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, who includes Chicago on a list of potential suitors for the superstar slugger. Feinsand notes that the Cubs have room to spend this offseason and Judge could be just what they need to establish a new identity after the departure of most of the core players who helped win the franchise's first World Series title in more than a century in 2016. More >

Nov. 5: Where will Judge end up?
In his new Beat Report, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand said the Dodgers and Giants "are the teams to watch" when it comes to Judge's free agency.

Nov. 3: Where do Mets stand on Judge?
Mets fans might be enamored with the thought of their favorite team swiping Judge from the Yankees and proclaiming itself the king of New York.

Signing Judge would be the ultimate flex for a Mets club that is always looking to wrestle the headlines away from its crosstown rival. It would also make sense from an on-field standpoint, with center fielder Brandon Nimmo set to become a free agent. If Starling Marte replaces Nimmo in center, the Mets would need a new right fielder.

However, a report from SNY’s Andy Martino suggests the Mets have no plans to engage in a bidding war with their crosstown rivals for Judge.

"Talking to Mets people about this all through the year, the team in Queens sees Judge as a Yankee, uniquely tailored to be an icon in their uniform, stadium and branding efforts," Martino writes. "Owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner enjoy a mutually respectful relationship, and do not expect to upend that with a high-profile bidding war."

Oct. 25: Dodgers could be 'serious players' for Judge (source)
Many teams will be vying for Aaron Judge's prodigious bat this offseason. That list could include a team that just won 111 games and possesses a star-studded roster. Sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that the Dodgers could become "serious players" for the American League single-season home run king.

Right field is Judge's primary position, and you might know that the Dodgers already have a pretty good player in right: Mookie Betts. But if L.A. signs Judge, Betts may move to the infield.

"Betts has been the Dodgers’ everyday right fielder since he joined the team in 2020," Feinsand wrote, "but the 30-year-old was drafted as a second baseman and, according to a source, would be open to a move back to the infield at some point during his career. If the Dodgers were to sign Judge, that could hasten such a move."

Betts has played just 30 games at second base during his MLB career, including seven games each in 2021 and 2022. But such a move might be necessary in order to bring the presumptive American League MVP aboard.