by MLB’s most desirable free agent, Aaron Judge, has landed in San Francisco.
Video caught Judge upon his arrival, where he made an interesting comment about what he’s doing in town.
“Visiting family and friends, that’s it. That’s it,” he said, winking at the camera.
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Bronx, NY: New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo and New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge in the dugout in the 3rd inning of Game 4 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York on October 23, 2022.
(Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
The judge hails from Linden, California, about 90 minutes from San Francisco, where the Giants, a team affiliated with the 2022 AL MVP in Free Agency, play. Judge also grew up as a Giants fan terrorizing baseball teams while playing for Linden High School and Fresno State, and was eventually selected by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
So what exactly do judges “friends and family” have planned?
“We have something,” he said, smiling.
AFTER ANTHONY RIZZO OF THE YANKEEES DECIDES TO STAY IN THE BRONX, HE COMMITS TO THE RETURN OF AARON JUDGE
The Giants want to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in NL West and want to make a splash, and nothing beats a homegrown product like Judge. And while there are plenty of other suitors, including the Yankees, San Fran has money to spend.
According to Spotrac, the Giants currently have the 14th-highest payroll in MLB at $95.95 million.
On the other hand, teams like the Yankees and the New York Mets are at the top and still willing to open their checkbooks for the judge’s services.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge runs to the dugout during the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles Saturday, October 1, 2022 in New York.
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Anthony Rizzo, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Yankees, has been lobbying for his pal at the clubhouse in Judge to return to the Bronx.
“I hope Judge stays just for the game,” Rizzo said Wednesday, “because you see a lot of franchise icons aren’t getting what they deserve for the team they’ve done so much for.”
Rizzo has even said that if he re-signs, Judge deserves to be the next Yankees captain.
ROB MANFRED ‘TOTALLY TRUST’ YANKEES, METS WAS NOT A MEMBER OF AARON JUDGE SWEEPSTAKES
But bids will be steep following his MVP campaign and it may come down to who outbids the rest of the field. Are the Giants rising? Will the Yankees, Mets or maybe even the Dodgers flex their financial muscles?
Judge and his team will find out how far each team is willing to expand their payroll over the coming weeks.
The 6-foot-7 slugger was named the AL MVP last Thursday and received all but two votes for first place after a season in which he set the American League record for most home runs in a single season at 62 .
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in the first inning in the second game of a double header at Globe Life Field on October 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas.
(Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
Aside from home runs, he also led the majors in RBI (131), On-Base Percentage (.425), Slugging Percentage (.686), Runs (133), OPS+ (211), and Total Bases (391).
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His 111 walks topped the American League, and his .311 batting average ranked second in the AL, which kept him in the Triple Crown talk until the last few days of the season.
