Fresh off signing his own gargantuan deal, Aaron Judge is eager to see what kind of payday Shohei Ohtani earns in the coming months.
An impending free agent, Ohtani could shatter contractual records given his unicorn status as an elite pitcher and hitter (and runner, as Aaron Boone noted). Count Judge among those who expect the Angels two-way sensation to command a hefty salary.
“I’ve never seen a player like him go into free agency where he’s one of the top pitchers in the game, one of the top hitters in the game, and you combine that into a great all-around athlete,” Judge said Tuesday night after Ohtani drilled a home run in the Angels’ 5-2 series-opening win over the Yankees. “It’s gonna be exciting to watch, and [I’m] excited to see where he goes.”
Judge then said, “I hope he likes…” before trailing off midsentence. That led to some laughs, and a question about whether the Yankees’ superstar is trying to recruit the Halos’.
“Not yet,” Judge continued. “They got something special in LA, & I’m just gonna admire him from afar for now.”
Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360 million contract this past offseason after winning the 2022 American League MVP award over Ohtani, added that the two are “friends” when asked if there’s a rivalry between the two.
“I’m a big fan of his. I love watching him compete, love watching what he does. Not only in the box, but on the mound. So I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry. I’d say it’s more just friendly competition. I love what he does and what he’s done for this game, and it’s gonna be exciting to watch him the next couple of days.”
The Yankees would benefit from having Ohtani’s lefty bat in their lineup and his right arm in their rotation, but so would every other team in baseball. It’s no secret that adding Ohtani’s unique skillset — or, in the Angels’ case, retaining it — will require a lot of money. And should Los Angeles trade the Japanese icon this summer, a team will also have to forfeit a stellar package of prospects for an unprecedented stretch-run upgrade and the chance to impress Ohtani before he makes a long-term commitment.
Whether the Yankees will make a play for Ohtani at any point on the calendar remains to be seen after they failed to land him when he came to the majors in 2018. But the team’s personnel are certainly in awe of him.
“Just a special talent that maybe we’ve never seen,” Boone said, “and maybe never will again.”
()