Is Yankees' Aaron Judge recruiting Angels' Shohei Ohtani?

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge may have sent a not-so-subtle message to Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

"I’ve never seen a player like him go into free agency," Judge said of Ohtani following Los Angeles' 5-2 win at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "He’s one of the top hitters in the game and one of the top pitchers in the game. Combine that with [being] a great all-around athlete, it’s gonna be exciting to watch, and I’m excited to see where he goes." 

As noted by Martin and Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media, Judge was sure to say he's "not yet" recruiting a player who remains attached to a different club through at least the end of the ongoing season. The 2022 American League Most Valuable Player did flash his trademark smile after those comments, though, and Klapisch added that "it didn’t take a genius to figure out that (Judge) wants Ohtani as a teammate." 

Ohtani is on track to reach the open market following the campaign and recently referred to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, as "one of my favorite parks." According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, the 28-year-old said Tuesday night that Yankee Stadium is "a beautiful field with passionate fans" and that he has "had some really fun times" in the Bronx. 

Interestingly, Miller mentioned that one Japanese media member remarked that "Ohtani’s in a good mood because he likes Yankee Stadium." 

Judge re-signed with the Yankees in December via a nine-year, $360M contract. To compare, it's believed Ohtani could earn more than $600M if he hits free agency.

Miller and Greg Joyce of the New York Post, among others, have suggested the Yankees could become that other team and keep Ohtani from flirting with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets by acquiring the 2021 AL MVP before the summer trade deadline. Such a move would give the Bronx Bombers several months to convince the sport's most marketable personality to make the Big Apple his long-term home. 

"I don’t want to think about it," Angels manager Phil Nevin said about Ohtani possibly playing home games in New York. "He’s ours right now. He’s a great teammate and player. We’re lucky to have him and hopefully, we have him for a long time."