Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Aaron Judge in Boston?
Many Red Sox fans would love to see the record-breaking Yankees slugger switch sides in the rivalry.
The Sox need outfield help and more bat power, and Judge can certainly provide. He averages 49 home runs per 162 games and his plate discipline has improved dramatically. During the regular season, he led MLB in runs, home runs, RBI, on-base and slugging percentages, OPS, OPS+, and total bases. His 62nd home run broke the American League single-season record set by Roger Maris in 1961.
However, there are plenty of reasons not to pursue Judge. He’s looking for an enormous long-term contract but will turn 31 next April. He is having a stupendous season, but he struggled at Fenway for most of his career and has missed significant time due to injuries over the years. He’s also quite feast-or-famine in the postseason; over 40 career playoff games so far, he has 13 home runs, but also 62 strikeouts.
Still, the Sox should target him this offseason, if only to make the Yankees overspend.