Cubs nothing more than a long shot for Aaron Judge, per report

The World Series shifts to Philadelphia Monday night for Game 3 between the Phillies and Astros, tied one game apiece. So with just a handful of games left this postseason, it’s all eyes on free agency – and one name sure to be a hot commodity is Aaron Judge, who is coming off a historic performance this year.

Judge, of course, turned down an extension from the Yankees right before the regular season opened – the terms of which were made public by Brian Cashman – betting on himself. To say that gamble paid off is putting things very mildly. The 30-year-old slugger set an American League record, hitting 62 home runs, leading the league in long balls, RBI, runs, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+ and total bases.

“There’s a pot of gold there,” Cashman said. “It’s yet to be determined what the gold — how much it weighs. But it’s a pot of gold, no doubt about it. So, good for him. It was already a big pot, and obviously, it’ll be bigger.”

Given the Cubs’ dire need of offensive firepower, it makes sense some people see Chicago as a potential suitor for Judge. But, as I’ve said before – and as The Athletic (subscription required) lays plain, even a wildly optimistic viewpoint has the North Siders as a club on the extreme peripheries when it comes to the outfielder.

There’s no way the Cubs look the other way and pay Aaron Judge

Per that report from The Athletic, the Cubs are viewed by most around the game as being focused more on the free agent class of shortstops and adding starting pitching – two glaring needs on the roster heading into 2023. Judge, while certainly attractive as an offensive weapon, comes with some red flags I just can’t see Jed Hoyer looking past as he looks to pull his team out of its second rebuild in the last decade.

As someone who is also in his early 30s and pushing seven feet tall (who is admittedly no Aaron Judge-level athlete), I assure you: worrying about how his body is going to age is a very valid concern. Patrick Mooney points as much out, saying it’s hard to envision the organization’s projections would see anywhere near the level of return needed to justify such a signing this winter.

The Yankees, Giants, Rangers, Dodgers, Red Sox and Mets are all mentioned in the piece as likelier suitors – and it’s easy to make the case for any of those clubs. At this point, it’s time to understand that as fun as it might be to think about Judge taking aim at the rooftops across the street from Wrigley Field, the only way that’s going to happen is when his new team visits the Confines because he’s not coming to the Cubs.