Yankees' Aaron Judge Doesn't Rule Out Signing with Red Sox in MLB Free Agency

If Aaron Judge is hoping to make the New York Yankees nervous about the possibility of retaining him in free agency, he is going about it in an excellent manner.

Following the Yankees' 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, Judge was asked about the possibility of signing with his team's biggest rival.

"Ooh," Judge told reporters with a smile. "We'll talk about that at the end of the year."

The American League MVP front-runner also lavished praise on Red Sox fans:

"They're some of the best in baseball. They're going to boo you, they're going to say some things, they're going to make you laugh. It's all part of it. A lot of great history here, and this is one of the best places to play, so it's always fun going out there and trying to put on a show for them."

Judge has already made a statement to the Yankees with a historic performance this season. He hit two more homers Tuesday, bringing his total to 57 through 142 team games.

The four-time All-Star is four homers away from tying Roger Maris for the most in a single season in American League history.

Everything Judge says publicly at this point can be interpreted as a leverage play.

General manager Brian Cashman told reporters at the start of the season that Judge had rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million extension that would have started in 2023. It's rare for a GM in any sport to go on the record about contract details when no agreement was reached.

That decision by Judge looks like it will pay off. ESPN's Jeff Passan noted the 30-year-old "will get" more than $300 million from a club this offseason.

It's reasonable to assume the Yankees will be favored to retain their superstar center fielder, especially given his incredible campaign, but Judge's decision to leave the door open for Boston was a brilliant tactical strategy.

The Red Sox face the possibility of losing shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who can opt out of his deal to become a free agent this offseason. Third baseman Rafael Devers has one more year of arbitration before he can become a free agent.

If ownership and the front office want to get back some of the goodwill that was destroyed when Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020, paying to sign Judge and take him away from New York would go a long way.

Judge has already set career highs in homers (57), RBI (123), stolen bases (16) and total bases (352). He's on pace to finish with career bests in batting average (.310), slugging percentage (.692) and OPS (1.105).