Yankees insider confirms Aaron Judge's pitching wink at spring training presser

When Aaron Judge drops a hint, he typically does so very intentionally -- either to spark the front office into activity, or because he already very much knows what's up. Tuesday's frenzy appears to be a little of column A and a little of column B, but mostly the latter.

Judge took to the podium to kick off spring training on Tuesday afternoon, gushing about what the fans' response will mean to Juan Soto's long-term future while and setting the tone for a season based in high -- and typical -- expectations (and, uh, also freaking us all out about his toe a little bit).

He also, with a wink and a prolonged smile, noted that he didn't necessarily believe the team was done seeking pitching. Was this a hope and a dream? Or was it something more concrete, like Judge's "New York or Nowhere" sweatshirt?

According to SNY's Andy Martino, Judge was well-informed; the team's internal conversations about pitching additions are continuing unabated, as a constant undercurrent to the on-field action.

Yankees Rumors: Aaron Judge knows they're working on adding pitching

Martino also cautioned that it doesn't seem the team has had advanced conversations about adding Blake Snell since the day they signed Marcus Stroman. In other words, that offer's been on the table for a while, and it's getting stale.

That hasn't stopped the connection from being forged, though. Snell is undoubtedly someone Judge would want along for the ride. If the rumored Yankees offer really is a short-termer with a high AAV, that would indicate Hal Steinbrenner no longer cares about the tax. It should also mean he'd be open to anything and everything with Snell, and is no longer counting cash.

Billionaires paying cash for talent will always be more comfortable than Brian Cashman trading potential future stars for (lesser?) talent. It's not our money.

Judge and Snell have always been tight. The Yankees' Captain inexplicably posting Snell on his Instagram story last spring was the impetus for what might've been the most poorly timed article in the history of this site, calling the 2023 Cy Young winner a "buy low" candidate. Right before he popped off! It was before!

Somehow, though, thanks to Scott Boras' wonky offseason, Snell has once again become a veritable "buy low," especially if he's open to moving money around or backloading an odd deal to get him into the same locker room with his slugging friend.

Fingers crossed that, whether it's Snell or Shane Bieber or Dylan Cease or Edward Cabrera, the Yankees swing something prior to Opening Day that increases both their rotation depth and upside. Judge downplayed just how much pressure will be on this team's shoulders in Juan Soto's walk year, but it's evident without being stated. This is the year. So get something done.