At 5:20 a.m., the West Coast learned the natural order had been restored.
Evil won. They failed. Again, the Giants had lost to the giants.
Aaron Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees, a deal only a few teams are willing to pay.
They’ve been here before. In Dec. 2014, they reportedly outbid the Cubs for Jon Lester. The Giants were close to signing Zack Greinke a year later until the Diamondbacks added a sixth year. The Giants were a finalist for Shohei Ohtani before the 2018 season. Giancarlo Stanton’s no-trade clause blocked his move to the Bay. An offseason later, Bryce Harper signed with the Phillies instead of the Giants.
Jake Montero, director of digital at KNBR, the Bay Area’s WFAN, said fans are upset with the organization. “This is the third or fourth time a team with supposedly boundless resources has failed to sign a significant free agent.”
Aaron Judge re-signed with the Yankees, making Farhan Zaidi the next Giants executive to chase a top free agent.
SportsUSA.com
Smaller markets are unhappy, and the Yankees’ Death Star is back. Judge is back after using other teams to squeeze every dollar (and year) out of the Yankees, who once again acted like the Yankees: When they want a player, they get him.
The Yankees usually lure that player with an unequaled wallet. They were outbid this time. According to The Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees thought the Padres would offer Judge 10 years and $400 million. Giants president Farhan Zaidi hoped Judge, who grew up in Northern California, would return home.
Yankees won the player, if not the bidding. Yankees fans will show their appreciation for the team and player on March 30 against the Giants.
How many will welcome the Giants home?
The Giants drew around 225,000 fewer fans in 2018, one year after their 107-win season and without COVID limitations. The Giants have gone from averaging 41,696 at home (in 2012) to 30,650 in 10 years (in 2022). They lack star power, but not because they haven’t offered enough contracts.
The Giants are looking for a star who can reverse a 10,000-fan-per-game decrease in attendance.
Fans didn’t come to the park last year, Montero added. I think that will continue unless the team gets [Carlos] Correa.
Would Correa, a true star, fix the problem? Herculean Judge, who never strikes out, may be baseball’s most marketable star (or at least second to Ohtani).
Judge was the Giants’ best path to significance, but the Yankees blocked it.
Judge preferred his legacy as an all-time Yankee over playing near his family (and received an all-time payday in doing so). The Yankees may regret it in seven or eight years, but they got a key player. It was good for MLB, which will continue to have the sport’s brightest star in its biggest market. Judge may be a lifelong Yankee.
Anthony Rizzo remarked last month, “I hope Judge remains just for the game, because a lot of franchise icons don’t receive what they deserve”
Aaron Judge wanted to play for the Giants, but the Yankees’ reputation and deep finances will keep him in The Bronx for nine years.
Spotrac projects the Yankees’ payroll to be second in baseball, behind only the Mets. Both NY teams need to improve.
In an era of luxury-tax penalties and widespread riches, other markets are angry at New York.
The Mets pay $26 million for Jose Quintana. Next pitching signing could lead to Carrasco move. Mets opponents forced Steve Cohen’s hand
Seth Lugo returning to the Mets certainly wasn’t going to happen anyhow, but Wednesday’s deal brought GM Billy Eppler lefty Brooks Raley from the Rays.
Lugo, who did everything for the Mets in seven seasons, became their best lefty option last year. The Mets bullpen lacked a lefty for much of the season, and Lugo held lefties to a.167 average.
Like Lugo, Raley can play numerous innings. Lefties hit.170 against him. Mets traded minor league lefty Keyshawn Askew for 34-year-old.
Lugo, who prefers to be a starter, is allegedly generating heavy attention as a free agency starter, but the Mets have showed no interest.
The Mets aren’t as interested in Seth Lugo starting as other clubs are.
If this is the end, Lugo — usually competent but rarely spectacular and frequently ignored — would have concluded his Mets career with 275 pitching appearances, ahead of legends like Ron Darling (257) and Sid Fernandez (255), but behind Turk Wendell (285) and Roger McDowell (280).
Revenge sweet
Durant, Irving, and Simmons weren’t united for games like Wednesday’s 122-116 Nets triumph over the Hornets.
They want championships, which means beating the Celtics.
Their latest setback, 103-92 at Barclays Center on Sunday, had many of the same difficulties as last season’s playoffs, when the Celtics swept the first-round series. The Celtics’ size clogged driving and passing lanes. Boston double-teamed Durant in the fourth quarter, and the Nets’ ball movement slowed.
Simmons, can you help?
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics were just as tough to stop as in the playoffs.
Simmons is the Nets’ best chance to stop Jayson Tatum’s 29-point performance. Simmons can finish or lob for a big like Nic Claxton while Durant is being pressured.
Simmons will return from a calf strain Friday against the Hawks. He said missing a game versus Boston stung more.
Simmons said during practice Tuesday, “We have three more against them.” I enjoy these games.
The Nets will see how this core compares against the NBA’s finest on Jan. 12.
»The Yankees and baseball benefit from Aaron Judge’s return. Poor others«