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3 reasons Red Sox shouldn’t sign Aaron Judge in free agency

By Gabrielle Starr

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees warms up on deck during the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 13, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees warms up on deck during the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 13, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Will the Red Sox target Aaron Judge in free agency?

The iconic Boston Red Sox – New York Yankees rivalry has been treading water for much of the last two decades.

It hasn’t been the same since Boston bested New York in historic, never-before-seen fashion in 2004, and it may never return to what it was before those epic October nights.

But if the Red Sox make a serious play for Aaron Judge this winter, it could bring things closer to the boiling point of the early aughts. Judge and the Yankees have been unable to come to terms on an extension; GM Brian Cashman’s seven-year, $213.5 million offer back before Opening Day looks absurd now that Judge is having an MVP-caliber season. The Yankees say they want to keep Judge in pinstripes, but they’ll either need to pay up big-time, or part ways with their homegrown star. Sound familiar?

The Sox have been linked to the rival slugger, with Judge even refusing to shut down the possibility as recently as Tuesday night, after blasting his 56th and 57th home runs of the season at Fenway Park.

But whether or not Judge wants to play for Boston should be largely irrelevant. Here are three reasons why the Sox shouldn’t try to sign him…

3. Red Sox must prioritize homegrown players like Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts over Aaron Judge

Over the last two decades, the Red Sox have developed an unpalatable pattern of scrimping on their proven, homegrown stars while eagerly shelling out for big free agents. Rarely, if ever, has it ended well for them, and yet they persist.

With Xander Bogaerts on the precipice of opting out of the team-friendly extension he initiated in 2019 and Rafael Devers still not locked into the contract he’s earned, the Sox are at what feels like one of the most pivotal crossroads in franchise history. Will they cement their horrible habit of throwing out the best players they’ve developed, or will they finally break the chain?

The Sox have plenty of money to play with this offseason, but the priority must be these two infielders, who’ve become the cornerstones of the franchise and should be valued and compensated as such.

If the Sox were to prioritize a Yankees slugger instead, it would be the ultimate insult.

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