Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge will undoubtedly be the biggest prize this offseason. SNY’s Andy Martino came out today and wrote a piece discussing the Mets’ plans with Aaron Judge.
“The only way people involved [with the Mets] can see them changing course and pursuing Judge would be if the Yankees somehow declared themselves totally out of the bidding.”
Fortunately, what that means is that the Mets may not have the financial leeway that we had all thought they did, or they don’t want to step on the toes of Hal Steinbrenner. There are numerous long-term contracts that the team still has to worry about, and the future of Pete Alonso, amongst others, has still not been handled.
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Steve Cohen has the funds necessary to sign whomever he chooses, but if the Mets are already waving the white flag, that is a fantastic sign for the Yankees. Assuming the Mets do take themselves out of the running, that’s one huge competitor that we can cross off the list. Martino also wrote about what the Mets are going to be focusing on, and it seems like they’re going to try and build internally.
“People who work in the Mets’ front office say that Cohen is more interested in supporting GM Billy Eppler in building out the type of farm system and infrastructure that would help produce a sustainable winner.”
The Yankees have leverage, and they need to use it for Aaron Judge:
The Mets may still toss their hat in the ring for Judge, and this could all just be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. However, if the Mets do remain on the sideline, that’s the biggest financial threat to the Yanks retaining Judge.
There will still be a few other clubs jockeying for his signature but knocking one potential landing spot off the list is a huge win for NYY. With the World Series wrapping up Sunday, the offseason will be the talk of the town. Aaron Judge will have all the leverage in any discussions that take place, so let’s hope that the Yankees are first to the table.
If the Yankees are unable to keep Judge, all efforts must be put toward building out a squad that can be competitive without him. Gone are the days where the Yankees would simply try to snatch up the best of the best on the market, solely so their opposition couldn’t have the chance. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive the front office is and whether or not they truly believe Judge is their franchise guy — spoiler alert, he most definitely is.