MVP front runner, Aaron Judge, could be on the poaching radar of the Chicago Cubs, as MLB Insider suggests.
American League MVP frontrunner, Aaron Judge is set to be one of the top free agents on the market this winter, and it is believed he would likely re-sign with the Yankees.
Though the team that will emerge best suitor is yet unknown, but according to a report by New York Post’s Jon Heyman, a few franchises are potential competition for the services of the 30 year old.
Heyman reports that the Yankees “envision the main competition coming from the San Francisco Giants and maybe the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.”
Here is what he wrote in the report from Sunday:
The current belief is that the Yankees prefer not to go to $40 million a year — or certainly not to $400 million total for Aaron Judge, who is 30, as they recall the lengthy deals for 30-somethings Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols, and certainly their own Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees envision the main competition coming from the Giants and maybe the Cubs and Dodgers (though LA is known to prefer shorter deals at higher AAVs; Bryce Harper didn’t go for that when they tried $160 million for four). But of course, you never know in free agency.
The Yankees prefer not to eclipse an AAV of $40 million, nor do they wish to offer a $400 million deal to a player on the wrong side of 30.
For the Cubs, they have an opening in center field this winter, but it remains to be seen if they would go to the top of the market for Aaron Judge, who — after turning down an eight-year extension worth $230 million (including 2022) — could command over $300 million.
Both the Dodgers and Yankees would be good fits for Judge. They are competitive teams looking to win a ring in 2023. The Giants and Cubs, however, are on a different track.
While the Cubs are looking to spend big money this offseason, they are a year or two away from truly competing, while the Giants are on the downswing from their 107-win NL West winning campaign in 2021.
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