MLB insider throws cold water on Giants outbidding Yankees for Aaron Judge

If the San Francisco Giants will not be outbid in their quest to lure Aaron Judge away from the New York Yankees and back home to the Bay … the Yankees will probably lose out on the face of their franchise.

Sure, they’ll compete with the Giants’ reported massive offer, but if San Francisco — as rumors have claimed — has no spending limit, and also plans to pair Judge with one or two more superstars (Trea Turner?), how can the Bombers possibly compete with that?

According to Jon Heyman — as well as someone within the Giants’ organization — the Yankees might not have to worry about that at all.

Plenty to worry about. But not that.

Heyman’s Thursday rundown of the clearest impediments to the Yankees bringing Judge back featured the same names we’ve heard over and over in the Giants, Dodgers, Mets and Red Sox.

The greatest “unease” cited so far has been the mysteriousness of Judge’s intentions. While he may remain secretive until the day he signs on the dotted line somewhere, it now seems unlikely he’ll have his mind made up for him based on finances alone. According to those within the Giants’ system, they have no plans to overwhelm the Yankees to the point of surrender.

Yankees might not be outbid by Giants for Aaron Judge

According to Heyman, the Yankees are a bit worried because of the offense Judge took to being offered below Anthony Rendon’s market during winter discussions, and they aren’t sure where he stands entering the negotiating period.

There hasn’t been any wavering on the team’s part, though, and they reportedly plan to “stretch” (Heyman’s words, not the Yankees’) financially, undeterred by his recent postseason struggles.

As for the report that the Giants will move heaven and earth to bring Judge home? Well … they obviously want him. They’re probably the non-Yankees front-runner. But … there’s a limit.

"A Giants person called “crazy” and “ridiculous” reports saying they’d pay Judge whatever it took. That report may be hyperbole, but the Giants are likely enthusiastic bidders. While it’s his boyhood team, they’re handicapped by a tough park (22nd for homers compared to 4th for Yankee Stadium)."

If the Yankees come to the negotiation table without an air of pretension, believing they have Judge locked up by the majesty of the pinstripes and don’t also have to compete financially, they should be in a good position.

Bottom line? The Yankees can certainly blow this — and if they sign Judge, they also have to sign, uh, some other guys — but it seems the Giants won’t be throwing down the gauntlet the minute the World Series ends and eliminating all competitors, as was rumored last week.

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