ESPN insider: Yankees remain the favorites to sign Aaron Judge

Add ESPN's Jeff Passan to the list of experts who believe the New York Yankees can keep Aaron Judge as long as they pay the price. 

"The Yankees remain the favorite, not only because they wield the sport's greatest financial might and are the only team Judge has known in his decade-long professional career, but also because the rest of the free-agent class doesn't align nearly as clearly with the organization's professed priorities," Passan explained about Judge's future for a piece published Thursday. 

Passan added that front-office officials at the general managers meetings "pegged a Judge deal somewhere in the neighborhood of eight years and $320 million." Passan also said the value of the contract could go "a tick higher" if the San Francisco Giants and/or Los Angeles Dodgers "make a spirited run at" the Linden, California, native set to hit free agency after he rejected New York's seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer before the 2022 season. 

MLB insider Jon Heyman recently noted he feels Judge is, "more likely than not coming back" to the Yankees. Heyman also said the four-time All-Star selection is "not really a San Francisco guy," and he also probably likes the fact it's easier to hit home runs at Yankee Stadium than San Francisco's Oracle Park.

Earlier this week, Jake Mintz of Fox Sports reported, "the consensus belief around the industry is that Judge stays" with the Yankees. 

"The Yankees have plenty of room to meet Judge's demands and need outfield help in an outfield-poor free-agent class along with the sort of power only Judge provides among this winter's top available hitters," Passan wrote. The uncrowned American League Most Valuable Player is expected to speak with other teams once he's free to do so at the start of free agency late Thursday afternoon, but it's hard to ignore that many of the supposed smartest people in the room continue to hint the 30-year-old will ultimately commit his long-term future to the Bronx unless Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner simply lets the storied club lose a bidding war.