Aaron Judge is the free agency grand prize for any MLB team this offseason, and the San Francisco Giants are one of the clear candidates for the outfielder after their record-breaking season.
The Giants reportedly used a wild card in his back pocket to help lure American League MVP New York Yankees to the Bay Area and near his hometown of Linden, California.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees looks on during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 22, 2022, in New York.
(Photos by Rob Tringali/MLB via Getty Images)
According to NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants put Judge in contact with Stephen Curry’s camp in hopes that the Golden State Warriors star can convince Judge to pick San Francisco when all is said and done. Judge grew up just 92 miles east of Oracle Park, and putting him in San Francisco could help turn the city into an epic sports city once again.
Giants outfielder Joc Pederson also made his pitch for Judge to come to the team on social media.
“We’ll be ready when you’re 99,” Pederson wrote on his Instagram Stories.
Brandon Crawford and Logan Webb also shared Pederson’s message.
AARON JUDGED RECORDED IN SAN FRANCISCO, EXPECTED TO MEET GIANTS
Judge, who hit an AL-record 62 home runs for the Yankees in 2022, reportedly dined with Giants top brass, manager Gabe Kapler and others within the organization on Monday. He spoke briefly with MLB Network upon landing in the Bay Area.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees runs to the dugout during Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022, in New York.
(Elsa/Getty Images)
“Visiting some family and friends, that’s it. That’s it,” he said, winking at the camera.
Looking to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, the Giants are looking to make a splash, and there’s nothing better than a local product like Judge. And while there are plenty of other suitors, including the Yankees, San Fran has money to burn.
According to Spotrac, the Giants have the 14th highest payroll in MLB at $95.95 million right now.
In addition to home runs, he also led the majors in RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), runs (133), OPS+ (211) and total bases (391).
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees signs autographs before a game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on April 27, 2019 in San Francisco.
(Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
His 111 walks were the best in the AL, and his .311 batting average ranked second in the AL, putting him in the Triple Crown conversation until the final days of the season.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
