MLB Rumors: Red Sox should target these 3 top market free agents
Boston Red Sox free agent target No. 1: Aaron Judge
When it comes to big name free agents this offseason, no one even comes close to Aaron Judge.
The New York Yankees star outfielder rewrote the history books with his legendary campaign (.311 BA, 62 HR, 131 RBI, 16 SB, 1.111 OPS) and he did it at the perfect time considering he’s now set to hit free agency. Judge is going to earn a massive contract from somebody, it’s just a matter of who is going to be backing up the Brinks trucks for him.
On one hand, there are some clear reasons to be skeptical of a deal for Judge. For starters, he’s already going to be 31 next season, and likely is going to be given a long-term contract that will hold him over for the rest of his career. It’s not a stretch to expect that Judge could be earning upwards of $30 million per season in his late thirties.
That comes with the territory in the MLB unfortunately, but it’s also worth noting that Judge is about to get paid for a season he likely won’t be recreating anytime soon. There’s a reason the American League home run record set by Roger Maris had stood for so long, and chances are Judge will come nowhere close to matching that total throughout the remainder of his career.
But in the short-term, signing Judge would make the Boston Red Sox an instant World Series contender. Playing the majority of his home games at Fenway Park, with the Green Monster being just over 300 feet away from home plate, would be a perfect fit for Judge in his attempt to continue hitting home runs at a historic rate. Boston also has a huge gap in their outfield that has Judge’s name written all over it, only adding to the logic that pursuing Judge would be a good idea.
Next. Red Sox/Yankees rivalry needs Aaron Judge to go to Boston. dark
The likelihood of this happening is low, considering Judge has been a Yankee all throughout his career, and west coast teams such as the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants seem destined to engage in a bidding war for Judge. But the Red Sox should at least check in on Judge in free agency, as he would drastically improve their team. And who knows, maybe Boston’s front office can make up for last offseason’s mistakes by making the biggest splash in the league this time around.