Aaron Judge is the top free agent this year and may spark a bidding war between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. These are the two teams that have emerged as the frontrunners to sign the American League MVP this offseason.
The Yankees are frontrunners due to Judge's time with the team, while the Giants are in the race due to Judge being from a town outside of San Francisco.
Both teams have certain advantages over the other. This means it could all come down to the great equalizer, money. There have been reports that both teams will pay Aaron Judge any amount he desires. This has New York Yankees fans fearful that their team will not keep up in what would be a massive bidding war.
Joel Sherman commented on how the San Francisco Giants' best chance to sign Judge may be through financial means.
This is a situation that would never happen with New York Yankees teams of the past. The Yankees famously outbid every other MLB team for star players for many decades. However, times have changed and the Yankees are no longer willing to outspend everybody by such a wide margin. Due to this, many fans legitimately expect the Yankees to lose Judge if there's a bidding war.
The risk-reward of a high-priced contract over an extended length of time is a lot to consider for these teams. Aaron Judge is a great player in his prime, and probably will be for at least another four years. However, by the end of a potential eight or 10-year contract, he will not be the same player. The San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees both have to consider their championship windows.
Aaron Judge's contract is one of the most talked about stories of the offseason, and it could radically alter the league. The team that he chooses to play for will instantly add to their offensive firepower in a big way.
A bidding war between the San Francisco Giants and the Yankees could get out of hand in a hurry.
Aaron Judge is coming off a stellar season
It is not often that a player of the caliber of Aaron Judge becomes a free agent. He set the American League record for home runs in a single season, a record that has stood since 1961.
Judge will command an extremely high-priced contract; the only question left is which team he will be signing with.