"He's gutless" - San Francisco sportscaster takes jibe at Aaron Judge for turning down Giants in favor of Yankees stay

When Aaron Judge signed a behemoth contract to stay with the New York Yankees two years ago, some would have forgotten that the San Francisco Giants were also close to signing him. As it turned out, Judge seemingly turned Bay Area down and signed a nine-year, $360 million deal ahead of the 2023 season to remain in the Bronx.

So when Judge took the plate on Friday, the Yankees captain was greeted with boos from Giants fans. Among them was San Francisco radio host Matthew Steinmetz, who had harsh words for the current major league home run leader.

“I've figured out why Aaron Judge didn't want to come to San Francisco… He's gutless,” Steinmetz said. “He didn't want the pressure of Barry Bonds' [shadow]!”

Judge reportedly considered singing for the Giants after his record-breaking 2022 season with the Yankees. The Giants reportedly tabled a nine-year, $360 million contract for the coveted Yankees slugger in free agency.

A full-story circle, as they say, Judge had a befitting reply to the crowd as he went on to smash two home runs on Friday night, adding more salt than they could savor.

Aaron Judge embraces playing in the backyard; it feels like homecoming to him

After the game, Aaron Judge, who hails from California, talked about coming back to the city he was raised in and his strange feelings about it.

“You dream about it in the backyard, playing around a little bit,” Judge said. “Rounding the bases, I looked out to left field, being in those bleachers a couple of times. It just brought back some memories. This is a special place. I grew up a Giants fan and loved coming to games out here. It’s pretty cool, being on the opposite side of the field.”

MLB: New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants

The California boy had an incredible hitting display in May, as he broke several records and turned his slow start into MVP-caliber numbers within a month.

From MLB's opening day to Apr. 22, Aaron Judge was only hitting .174/.308/.337 with three homers. However, his May numbers were completely different, with him hitting .371/.488/.928 to go along with 12 doubles, 14 home runs and 27 RBIs.

Though there were some initial doubts about him being seen as a contender for the AL MVP, those doubts have been shut down by his bat. Judge homered again in the Yankees' second game of the series against the Giants on Saturday.