MLB Rumors: Giants make monster offer to Judge

Dec 6, 2022 - 7:31 PM

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That sound you hear this afternoon is the Brink’s truck backing up to Aaron Judge’s house. The San Francisco Giants have reportedly made Judge an offer. And what an offer. Jon Heyman reports that Farhan Zaidi and company have thrown around $360 million at the Linden native who grew up going to games by McCovey Cove.

That price tag almost certainly aligns with reports that it will ultimately take a nine-year deal to get Judge, unless the Giants just offered him a $45 million AAV, according to my rough math on what an eight-year pact would entail. It’s worth noting Heyman’s sources think the Yankees are still the lead dogs in the chase, and that New York remains optimistic it can re-sign the newly-anointed American League single season home run king and 2022 AL MVP.

The Yankees’ November offer to Judge was closer to 8/$300MM, though that was before his fellow elite free agent, Trea Turner, signed on the dotted line with the Phillies for 11/$300MM. There’s a rumor floating around at the moment that the Yankees have made a more recent offer of 9/$340MM, though that same source say that the Giants’ aforementioned $360MM bid was a counter to that pitch.

Anyway, tamping my optimism about the last part of the Heyman tweet above is the news that emerged this morning confirming Judge’s unhappiness with how extension negotiations unfolded with New York this spring. In their piece acclaiming him Athlete of the Year, Time Magazine notes that Judge was displeased after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman leaked details of their final offer to him prior to the 2022 season. Any lingering ill will, in conjunction with the massive offer on the table from San Fran, definitely has me a bit on edge.

All that said, we have no indication whatsoever which way Judge is leaning. With any luck, this news will prompt Hal to get in touch with Judge’s team and make it clear the Yankees will go above and beyond. But until this is over, one way or another, all we can do is wait.