Aaron Judge Rumors: Yankees FA Had 'Very Productive' Meeting with Giants

Free-agent outfielder Aaron Judge reportedly had a positive meeting with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi said Wednesday that Judge had multiple meetings with the Giants that went up to the ownership level, and Morosi characterized them as "very productive."

Morosi noted that while he doesn't believe a formal contract offer was made, one could come this week.

The 30-year-old Judge is a Sacramento, California, native who played his college baseball at Fresno State and grew up as a Giants fan.

Because of his California roots and Giants fandom, San Francisco is widely viewed as the biggest threat to rip Judge away from New York, where he spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Yankees.

While Judge had three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, an American League Rookie of the Year Award and a second-place finish in the AL MVP voting to his credit entering last season, the 2022 campaign was undoubtedly the best of his career.

Judge made history by slugging 62 home runs, giving him the single-season AL record, which had been held by Yankees legend Roger Maris since 1961.

The 6'7" superstar also led the AL with 131 RBI and finished second with a .311 batting average, leaving him just short of the Triple Crown.

Additionally, he set career highs with 133 runs, 16 stolen bases, a .425 on-base percentage and a .686 slugging percentage.

For his efforts, Judge was named an All-Star for the fourth time and won his third Silver Slugger Award and his first AL MVP Award.

Despite a lack of consistent production from other parts of the lineup, the Yankees won the AL East with a 99-63 record and reached the American League Championship Series, where they were swept by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.

Judge was the lifeblood of the Yankees last season, and losing him would perhaps drop them from World Series contenders to a team far from assured of making the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Giants would receive a massive boost after a disappointing 81-81 season in 2022 that saw them miss the playoffs.

One year earlier, the Giants shockingly posted the best record in MLB at 107-55, and the arrival of Judge could push them back in that direction.

It remains unclear what direction Judge is leaning in, but Morosi expressed his belief that he could make his free-agent decision in two weeks by the end of the winter meetings.