It's time for Aaron Judge to step up to the plate in a different way.
Former Mets reliever Trevor May said on the “Foul Territory” podcast that the Judge should be more aggressive in recruiting Juan Soto as outfielders consider free agency options this offseason. He said he thinks so.
Judge said in a conference call after winning his second MVP award that he had not contacted Soto since the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in the World Series.
“But if you want him, sometimes you have to flex that muscle a little bit, because you're Aaron Judge,” Maye, who pitched for the Mets from 2021 to 2022, said on the popular podcast. Ta.
“You're the LeBron James of this game right now, so if you can be him and it helps you and you can get him, that's what matters at the end of the day. It was interesting and in some ways strange that he insisted on not talking, but it seemed a little out of place in the situation.
After the two hard-hitting outfielders led the Yankees to a 94-68 record and led the team to their first World Series appearance since 2009, he made it clear on a conference call that he actually wanted Soto to wear pinstripes. .
“I think the best thing is to give them space,” Judge said of Soto. “I've talked to him all season. He knows how we feel about him. The most important thing is to let him do what he has to do and do what's right for him and his family. It’s about making decisions.”
Judge met with Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner in Tampa this offseason and told him how important it was for him to sign Soto.
May said Judge should consider being more aggressive, even if that's not his style as Yankees captain.
“What do you know about Aaron Judge?” said May, who spent most of his career with the Twins. “He's not a very publicly strong character. I'm going to insert myself into this situation, man. It doesn't seem like something he's comfortable with or wants to do.
“I understand that the captain tag is on. It just feels that way to me. Either he's lying, but I don't think he would do that.” He wasn't the guy who said, “I haven't called you,” he actually called me. He'll dance around it a little more. ”
The Yankees and Mets are believed to be Soto's favorites to win the title, with the Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays also on the list.
The newspaper's Jon Heyman reported Wednesday that the Yankees have upped their offer for the 26-year-old, but it feels like all interested teams are still in the early to mid-way through the negotiation process after meeting with Soto and his agent. It is said that there is Scott Boras.
“The worst thing that could happen in this negotiation is they lose the World Series and get this close,” May said of the Yankees. “Juan Soto was almost in jeopardy, so we have no choice but to go get him. “I did,” he said. If they don't do that, it's going to feel like the sky is falling, even though…it's not like they can't come back and build a good team and add other pieces that can make them a division champion.
“But it feels like… there's going to be a lot of anxiety over time in this waiting game, and if they lose him, the fan disapproval will be loud and long and hard to ignore. They're stuck behind a rock or a hard place. But if that happens, the clouds will spread and the sun will come back…I've never seen the true George version of Hull only in the offseason. But it would be great to see that.”
Soto will wait until the winter meetings, which begin in Dallas on December 9th, to make a decision.
