Ken Rosenthal: "MLB investigating whether Mets, Yankees communicated improperly on Aaron Judge"

The New York Yankees and New York Mets find themselves in the midst of an embarrassing situation involving the MLB Players Association. It is no secret that both teams have been linked to signing free agent Aaron Judge during the offseason. Judge is without a doubt the most sought-after player and will demand a high price.

In a recent article by The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal reported that the two teams are being investigated for improper communication.

The investigation arose from another recent article from SNY.com titled "Mets will not be fighting Yankees for Aaron Judge." The article raised red flags with the MLBPA, who requested the league look into the matter.

"Sources: MLB investigating whether Mets, Yankees communicated improperly on Aaron Judge. Story:" - Ken Rosenthal

The MLB Players Association serves as a collective bargaining representative for players. It is a union that was set up to protect players' interests. The association's concern could be that the owners are allegedly working to lower the price of a free agent.

MLB will now request communication from both owners regarding the case in order to investigate the matter.

The November 3 article from SNY does not state in any way that the two owners had any improper communication. It simply stated that Hal Steinbrenner and Steve Cohen have a close relationship.

"Owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner enjoy a mutually respectful relationship, and do not expect to upend that with a high-profile bidding war," stated SNY.com

The main issue here is that the article states that people within the Mets organization do not see them entering a bidding war for Judge. That is unless the Yankees choose to remove themselves completely from the equation.

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MLB Players Association has asked the league to investigate improper communication regarding Aaron Judge's contract

Aaron Judge grounds out in game one of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park

The fact that Aaron Judge just completed one of the greatest seasons in modern-day baseball only adds to the intrigue of this story. Judge is the favorite to win his first American League MVP award in 2022. He finished the season by breaking the AL single-season home run record set by Roger Maris in 1961. There will be a lot of demand in the market for a player of his caliber.

"Yankees, Mets being investigated for colluding on free-agent slugger Aaron Judge" - njdotcom

For years, players and agents have used competitive offers to increase their contract value. The New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants are all rumored to be interested in signing Judge. The more teams in the equation, the higher the final number could be.