Mets Should Make All-Out Pursuit for Aaron Judge amid Latest MLB Free Agency Rumors

Heading into the 2022 MLB postseason, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the hottest name in baseball. The 30-year-old slugger has set new Yankees and American League records by hitting 62 home runs during the regular season.

Both records were previously set by Roger Maris back in 1961.

Judge also helped New York claim the second seed in the AL, giving the Yankees a bye to the divisional round. Whenever New York's playoff run ends, however, Judge's name won't suddenly disappear from the headlines.

Judge also happens to be arguably the best player headed to free agency this offseason. He's certainly going to be one of the highest-paid—he was already set for a hefty payday before his epic record chase.

He rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from the Yankees in the offseason,

"Judge wanted close to the 10-year, $360 million contract extension that center fielder Mike Trout received from the Los Angeles Angels," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote in April.

Now that Judge has made history, his price will only go up.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel recently polled 14 anonymous MLB executives about Judge's projected contract value. The predictions averaged out to 8.6 years and just below $320 million.

Most seem to believe that Judge will remain a Yankee, of course, which isn't surprising. New York is a franchise that is willing to pay for stardom, and Judge is the face of the franchise.

However, the Yankees won't be the only ones chasing Judge on the open market, and this is where the cross-town Mets come into play.

As ESPN's Buster Olney noted on Get Up, Judge's rising price tag could allow franchises other than the Yankees into play.

"I can tell you this, people around baseball are skeptical that he would leave the Yankees and that they would actually let him leave," Olney said. "That said, there is going to be an opportunity for an inspired owner of another team—maybe it's the Giants—to jump in with a big number."

Could Mets owner Steve Cohen be that motivated money-spender who makes Judge an irresistible offer? Possibly, and it would make perfect sense.

Since Cohen became the controlling franchise owner in 2020, the Mets have become a team willing to spend on big-name talent. This past season, they added the likes of Starling Marte and Max Scherzer.

As a result, the Mets claimed the National League's fourth seed and made the postseason for the first time since 2016. We'll see how the playoffs play out, but it still doesn't feel like the Mets are on par with elite teams like the Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics.

Bringing Judge into the fold, however, would quickly change that—something Olney touched on when discussing Judge's next destination.

"Judge would absolutely fit perfectly for what the Mets need," Olney said. "Owner Steve Cohen knows that his team needs a big injection of power, and there's no bigger injection of power in baseball these days than Aaron Judge."

Olney isn't wrong. While the Mets have a solid all-around team, they're somewhat limited offensively. They finished the regular season ranked fifth in runs (772) but only 15th in home runs (171). Adding the biggest bat in the game could make the Mets an offensive juggernaut.

Adding Judge would also keep him away from a potential playoff foe like the San Francisco Giants—though not everyone is convinced that San Francisco is really in play.

"One front-office source scoffed at us listing the Giants as a favorable landing spot for Judge," CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson wrote.

From a competitive perspective, it makes perfect sense to go all-in for Judge this offseason.

It would make sense from a franchise perspective, too. Cohen seems to be trying to build his team up to be a high-profile, high-salary perennial contender like the Yankees or the Dodgers.

No 2022 free agent would raise the Mets' profile higher than Judge. If Cohen wants his franchise to stop being known as the other New York team, targeting Judge would be an ideal maneuver.

Expect Cohen to at least make the Yankees pay to retain their star.

"I grew up here, and what Mets fans love most is to torture the Yankees," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said last month during a Fox Sports broadcast (h/t Pat Ragazzo of FanNation). "So, even if he can't get Judge, I have a hard time imagining he won't make a bid or at least show interest to drive up the price for the Yankees."

The only real question is whether Cohen and the Mets are willing to outbid everyone else to land Judge. That may ultimately not happen, but it's hard to believe that they won't go as all-in as is responsible. And they should, because this is a move that could transform the franchise on multiple levels.

Adding Judge would make the Mets a must-watch team, make them a better team and take a key centerpiece away from that other New York team.