2022 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions on Aaron Judge, Jacob deGrom, More

Will the Los Angeles Dodgers offer up a massive deal in an attempt to lure Aaron Judge away from New York and cut off any attempt to sign him by the across-state San Francisco Giants?

Following some restructuring of their books, that may very well be the case.

The Dodgers' recent moves and desire to target Judge this offseason is at the forefront of this collection of rumors, which also include the latest on Mets ace Jacob deGrom and the aforementioned Giants' Evan Longoria.

The Dodgers have cleared nearly $100 million from its books and, according to a tweet from Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the winningest team in baseball in 2022 is preparing to make a run at free agent slugger Aaron Judge.

The Dodgers non-tendered struggling hitter Cody Bellinger, making him a free agent, as part of its efforts to clear money from the books. Though they appear to be all-in on making the push toward acquiring Judge, Heyman's colleague at the Post, Justin Terranova, suggests the Yankees remain the favorite to sign the prolific slugger.

It does not hurt that Yankees GM Brian Cashman was quick to put an offer on the table and that team owner Hank Steinbrenner was quick to denounce payroll as being the reason the team would not sign Judge, saying at the owner's meetings, "We know where we’re at. I can tell you, that’s not gonna stop us."

Judge blasted 62 home runs in 2022, breaking the long-standing record by Roger Maris, and further entrenched himself as the face of the Yankees organization.

For his part, Judge has not-so-subtly made it clear via his choice in attire where he prefers to continue his career, repeatedly donning T-shirts and hoodies with the phrase, "New York or nowhere."

The Dodgers may throw a ton of money in his direction, ditto the Giants, but as long as the sentiment remains the same from both the Yankees and Judge's camps, and his current team's offer does not carry a significant discrepancy in comparison to the others, fans should expect Judge to don the pinstripes for many years to come.

Prediction: Judge is a Yankee for life

It is up to the New York Mets to decide if they want to retain the services of all-world pitcher Jacob deGrom.

Mike Puma of The New York Post reported that team officials believe deGrom wants to remain with the team as long as there is no major discrepancy between its offer to him and whatever other teams present.

The deciding factor may boil down to length of the contract more than the financial numbers, according to Puma.

"Scherzer’s contract with the Mets holds a $43.3 million average annual value, and the team could be willing to surpass that figure for deGrom. But if deGrom receives longer-term offers, the Mets may turn in a different direction."

It is no wonder the Mets would be willing to give deGrom the money, but not commit the years to him. He has been oft-injured over the last couple of seasons and when the team needed him to perform at his highest level in the 2022 postseason, he did not.

That may be an unfair criticism because neither did Max Scherzer or the team's bats, but it is still undoubtedly on the mind of the decision-makers when decided exactly what their initial offer to the ace might be.

The Mets have the inside track because deGrom enjoys playing there and the team has built to nucleus necessary to compete for a world championship every year.

The question is whether they have the patience to wait for deGrom to make a decision when there are other starting pitchers, including AL Cy Young winner and World Series champion Justin Verlander, that the team could be targeting should he opt to go elsewhere.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the team has already met with Verlander via Zoom to discuss potentially continuing his career in the Big Apple.

The sooner the deGrom piece of New York's offseason puzzle is solved, the greater the likelihood that he rejoins Scherzer and closer Edwin Diaz to make up the foundation of a stellar Mets bullpen.

If things drag on, do not be surprised to see deGrom attempt to chase a ring with another team while the Mets actively seek out his replacement.

Prediction: deGrom returns to New York on a shorter deal, something like two years guaranteed

Heyman also reported that San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria still has the baseball itch and is hoping to play one to two more years with a contending team.

The 2008 Rookie of the Year and seemingly perennial MVP candidate during his run with the Tampa Bay Rays, Longoria has seen his numbers diminish over the years with San Francisco due to injury, but he is still a solid player with plenty veteran experience to offer any clubhouse.

He hit 14 home runs and batted in another 42, none of which will blow anyone away but at age 36, that should not have been expected anyway. His OPS+ of 114 was above league average, though, still making him an asset to any team willing to bring him in, even after a right thumb fracture prematurely ended his season.

The former All-Star also continued his excellent defensive playing, making that the strong suit of his game at this point in his career.

Longoria has made it crystal clear he would love to return to the Giants.

"I'm committed to coming back here if in fact it does happen. I'm a Giant until I'm not a Giant anymore. I don't have any desire to go anywhere else," he told reporters in October.

Desire versus choice is two different things. If the Giants decline Longoria's option in favor of a younger and cheaper one, he will find himself seeking a new team to finish his career with.

A young team such as Seattle, with an infield need, could be an option.

So, too, could be retirement, if the right deal does not present itself.

Especially if he is adamant about having no desire to leave San Francisco.

Prediction: Longoria returns to San Francisco on a short-term deal or retires