A Rare Slip-up From Aaron Judge May Have Just Hinted at New York Yankees’ Real Intentions Towards Shohei Ohtani

From September 2022, when Aaron Judge’s chase of 62 homers was closing in, till the end of winter meetings in December, all eyes were on Aaron Judge and the massive contract he was preparing to bag. Ultimately, the superstar outfielder and slugger signed a $360 million contract with the New York Yankees for nine years. Next offseason, however, will tell a different tale, as the two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will enter free agency.

The big question that still remains is: “Where will Shohei Ohtani land?”

Maybe, the Pinstripes’ newly appointed captain Aaron Judge has answered the question after losing a game to the Mike Trout and Ohtani-led Los Angeles Angels.

Is Shohei Ohtani preparing to move to Manhattan?

According to various reports, when Shohei Ohtani enters free agency, he will prepare to bag a contract exceeding $500 million, but his landing spot remains unknown. Various experts strongly believe that Ohtani will continue to stay on the West Coast, but may switch his alliance to the National League’s Los Angeles Dodgers. However, a recent slip-up by Yankees leader Judge suggests otherwise.

In an interview after losing the game, Judge spoke about the two-way wonder with all praise, and said, “He’s a great all around athlete. It’s going to be exciting to watch. I’m excited to see where he goes. I hope he likes…”

Suddenly, however, as reported by Bryan Hoch, “the judge paused, thought better of it, and smiled,” before finishing his statement and saying, “I’m excited to see where he goes.”

Read More: “Ohtani to Boston Confirmed”: Shohei Ohtani’s Reunion With Japanese WBC Teammate Gets Red Sox Fans’ Hopes Up

Fans caught on to Judge’s slip-up and debated Ohtani’s chances of actually coming to the Big Apple. While the majority of fans were of the opinion that Hal Steinbrenner would never spend so much on Ohtani, others celebrated the crypticness of the slip-up and hoped that Ohtani comes to Manhattan.

This is how fans reacted:

The LA Angels beat the Pinstripes in the first game of the series at the iconic Bronx 5-2, with Shohei Ohtani smashing a homer in the first inning of the game.

Aaron Judge beat the two-way wonder in the 2022 MVP race. Can he do it again?

In 2021, Shohei Ohtani was named the American League MVP, crediting his brilliant two-way performances. Even in 2022, Ohtani started exactly where he left off, and recorded another potentially MVP-winning season. However, after smashing 62 homers and carrying the Yanks to the American League Championship Series, Aaron Judge beat Ohtani in the race.

What do you think will happen in 2023? Will either Ohtani or Judge compete for another MVP award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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