Fresh off signing his personal gargantuan deal, Aaron Judge is keen to see what sort of payday Shohei Ohtani earns within the coming months.
An impending free agent, Ohtani might shatter contractual data given his unicorn standing as an elite pitcher and hitter (and runner, as Aaron Boone famous). Count Judge amongst those that count on the Angels two-way sensation to command a hefty wage.
“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 mentioned Tuesday evening after Ohtani drilled a house run within 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 mentioned, “I hope he likes…” earlier than trailing off midsentence. That led to some laughs, and a query about whether or not the Yankees’ celebrity is making an attempt to recruit the Halos’.
“Not yet,” Judge continued. “They got something special in L.A. and I’m just gonna admire him from afar for now.”
Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360 million contract this previous offseason after successful the 2022 American League MVP award over Ohtani, added that the 2 are “friends” when requested if there’s a rivalry between the 2.
“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 profit from having Ohtani’s lefty bat of their lineup and his proper arm of their rotation, however so would each different workforce in baseball. It’s no secret that including Ohtani’s distinctive skillset — or, within the Angels’ case, retaining it — would require some huge cash. And ought to Los Angeles commerce the Japanese icon this summer season, a workforce may also should forfeit a stellar package deal of prospects for an unprecedented stretch-run improve and the possibility to impress Ohtani earlier than he makes a long-term dedication.
Whether the Yankees will make a play for Ohtani at any level on the calendar stays to be seen after they didn’t land him when he got here to the majors in 2018. But the workforce’s personnel are actually in awe of him.
“Just a special talent that maybe we’ve never seen,” Boone mentioned, “and maybe never will again.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com