Why a Dodgers Pursuit of Aaron Judge Would Make Sense amid MLB Rumors

The playoffs are over for the New York Yankees, who were swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS. The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't even make it that far, falling in a 3-1 series to the San Diego Padres in the divisional round.

There will be no World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers this year, but the two high-profile franchises may soon face off in a different arena. Both teams may be heavy bidders for star outfielder Aaron Judge.

Judge had a historic season for the Yankees in 2022, finishing with an AL record 62 home runs and arguably the biggest profile in baseball. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last month that "most" believe that Judge will re-sign with the Yankees as a free agent this offseason.

However, L.A. is emerging as a serious threat to sign him away. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Dodgers are considering a run at Judge and a move of star outfielder Mookie Betts to second base.

"According to sources, the Dodgers could become serious players in this offseason’s Aaron Judge sweepstakes, a move that would potentially result in a position change for Betts, a six-time All-Star outfielder," Feinsand wrote.

This is far from the worst idea for the Dodgers, and there are a few reasons why it would make sense. Perhaps the biggest is that Betts is open to the position change.

"Being able to play second base is kind of something I've been doing my whole life,” Betts said in September, per Feinsand. "Getting to go back there is just a lot of fun for me, personally. I really, really do enjoy it, but they pay me to catch these fly balls."

The Dodgers will be happy to pay Betts to do something else if it means adding the slugging power of Judge. Los Angeles ranked fifth in the regular season with 212 home runs, but Judge is a difference-maker at the plate.

Of course, adding Judge won't be cheap.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel polled 14 anonymous MLB executives, agents and insiders on what Judge's next contract might look like.

The predictions averaged out to 8.6 years and just below $320 million. With that sort of investment in Judge, the Dodgers will almost certainly have to part with star shortstop and impending free agent Treat Turner. The thing is, that might happen anyway.

According to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, the two-time All-Star did not progress in extension talks with the Dodgers at all this season:

"The Dodgers broached the idea of a long-term future with Turner’s team over the winter but didn’t get into specifics. Turner told them he was willing to have talks until the start of the regular season. The Dodgers informed Turner shortly before the start of the year they wouldn’t make him a formal offer, and there haven’t been any discussions between the two sides about an extension since."

There's a real chance that Turner departs whether or not the Dodgers pursue Judge. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to at least see if the 30-year-old home-run king can be had.

Another factor to consider is that L.A.'s roster simply wasn't enough to go deep into the postseason. The Dodgers were ousted by the Padres, who in turn lost a 3-1 series to the Philadelphia Phillies. This marked the second straight year in which L.A. finished earlier in the postseason than the previous season.

After winning the World Series in 2020, the Dodgers lost in the NLCS to the Atlanta Braves in 2021. If that trend continues, it's hard to see L.A. making a big postseason jump with its current roster.

Yes, this is a roster that won 111 games in the regular season. However, spending to re-sign the likes of Turner, Craig Kimbrel and Joey Gallo won't ensure that Los Angeles is more of a title contender next year.

Simply put, it may be time to shake things up a bit. Adding Judge would certainly do that while boosting the Dodgers' bottom line.

Fans care far more about how a team performs than ticket and merchandise sales. However, business management has at least one eye on potential revenue.

Judge, who grew up in California, would generate a buzz in L.A. that perhaps no other star could. That excitement would be great for the Dodgers and for baseball. If Judge does leave New York, you can bet that MLB would prefer that he land in another large market.

Of course, there is a price point at which adding Judge wouldn't make sense for L.A. His power and profile weren't enough to get the Yankees into the October Classic, and the Dodgers can't justify completely tearing down their roster to accommodate him.

However, it's worth making a serious run at Judge, even if the end result is forcing a potential playoff foe like the San Francisco Giants to overpay.

According to Randy Miller of NJ Advanced Media, the Giants are all-in on acquiring Judge too.

"The Giants have targeted Judge and are prepared to spend whatever it takes, a person with knowledge of the Giants’ thinking told NJ Advance Media after meeting with members of the franchise’s ownership group," Miller wrote.

This may be the biggest reason why a Judge pursuit makes sense for the Dodgers. They potentially have a chance to steal him from a division rival or drive up the price point.

And if L.A. can land Judge, it will at least have a chance to re-emerge as the best team in baseball in 2023.