Dodgers Beat Writer Digs Into Why LA Does and Doesn't Make Sense for Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers in some ways, but when it comes to the length of contract he'll command, L.A. seems an unlikely landing spot.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is probably staying in the Bronx. After setting a new American League record for home runs in a season, New York is likely going to back up the money truck and do whatever it takes to keep the slugger in pinstripes.

But if Judge does leave for greener pastures, there are plenty of potential landing spots for him. Over at The Athletic, Chris Kirschner reached out to beat writers for six teams that might woo Judge, asking them for their pros and cons of going after the biggest free agent on the market.

Dodgers writer Fabian Ardaya wrote the section on Los Angeles, and it's a pretty solid summary:

It’s hard to rule the Dodgers out on anyone. They have the resources, and if Trea Turner departs in free agency, a hole in their lineup certainly could be filled by Judge blasting home runs all over Dodger Stadium. They could have an opening in center field if they elect to non-tender Cody Bellinger, meaning Judge or Mookie Betts could play there every day — and yes, Betts could see more time at second base if the Dodgers decide Gavin Lux is the replacement for Turner. But that in itself is a complicated and imperfect solution.

The Dodgers have other issues to address, and though they have made similar overtures over the years (Betts, Freddie Freeman, their pursuit of Gerrit Cole), they have typically tried to leverage their spending might over shorter-term deals than what Judge likely would be seeking.

That last bit is mostly what it boils down to, probably. Judge isn't young by baseball standards — he'll turn 31 shortly after Opening Day — and he hasn't been a paragon of health, reaching 500 plate appearances in just three of his six "full" seasons in the big leagues. If the bidding gets into the six- to ten-year range like many have speculated, it seems extraordinarily unlikely the Dodgers would be heavily involved.