Aaron Judge's comments on Carlos Narvaez make Yankees trade even more questionable

Aaron Judge has outsized influence on the New York Yankees' front office decisions, but it seems like he wasn't consulted on the offseason deal that shipped catcher Carlos Narvaez to the team's biggest rival.

Based on the way he spoke about Narvaez after the rookie catcher's three-run homer flipped the Yankees' Sunday Night Baseball loss to the Red Sox and spurred a sixth-inning meltdown, he probably would've been inclined to intervene if he'd known.

In the postgame scrum, Judge credited Narvaez's hard work for his rookie rise, calling him "one of the best we ever had over here" in the Yankees' system.

It's great that the Yankees can be trusted as a trade partner these days, shipping overflow talent of real value throughout the league to fill their needs. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, the return in the Narvaez trade, might eventually pay real dividends for the Yankees; the right-hander is in the midst of a breakout season with the Hudson Valley Renegades. There's something to be said for a good, old-fashioned baseball trade that benefits both sides and increases your credibility.

But not when one of the sides is benefitting is your fiercest rival. Judge, who cares about the player and the person here, won't say it. But we'll gladly drop that context.

Yankees' Aaron Judge glad for Carlos Narvaez's success, but maybe New York should've kept him? Maybe?

Judge sees a player who learned under his tutelage and modeled his work ethic after a fleet of successful Yankees thriving elsewhere. And that's, again, always great.

The Yankees have an overflow of catching talent. It was hard to watch the weekend series and not understand why Austin Wells has been given the reins; he brings a unique set of skills, and he was very impressive throughout the weekend.

But it's just very hard for fans to justify, no matter the return, sending someone Judge knew was an immediate impact player to the team that impacts the Yankees most directly.

Historic rivalries matter less these days to the players on the field than ever before. Relationships cross boundaries. Prospects constantly switch sides. The Red Sox scout the Yankees extensively, and clearly take glee in turning pieces from their discard pile into treasure. The familiarity fuels their personnel decisions.

There will always be a fan disconnect here. The Yankees received fair value in exchange for Narvaez, and this trade may someday look like an even one after Rodriguez-Cruz is promoted. But, from a bird's eye view, the Yankees also made the 2025 Red Sox better. That's perfectly acceptable to the front office, and completely unacceptable to any supporter. There's your fracture.