MLB rumors: Aaron Judge meets with Giants ownership, offer could come by end of

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us but that doesn’t mean hot stove activity will slow to a crawl. Plenty of signings and trades have been finalized during the long holiday weekend over the years and this offseason figures to be no different. Here are Wednesday’s hot stove rumors as you await Turkey Day.

Judge meets with Giants

Aaron Judge, the No. 1 available free agent, met with Giants representatives in San Francisco on Tuesday, including members of ownership, reports MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Morosi anticipates a formal offer could come later this week and that Judge could sign by the end of the Winter Meetings in two weeks. To date Judge has only met with the Giants and, of course, the Yankees.

For what it’s worth, Giants outfielder Joc Pederson is doing his part to recruit the reigning AL MVP:

Let it be known the Giants will open the 2023 regular season in New York against the Yankees. Pretty good chance Judge will be at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day next season. Which uniform will he be wearing? We’ll find out soon enough.

Yankees looking for bullpen help

In addition to trying to retain Judge, the Yankees are also seeking bullpen help, GM Brian Cashman told NJ.com. “I’m looking to improve our bullpen, but yeah, I believe we have a closer. That doesn’t mean we can’t play on someone who is a quote-unquote closer because ultimately the more the merrier. You want as many high-leverage guys that you can collect as you possibly can,” Cashman said.

The closer Cashman is referring to is All-Star Clay Holmes, who struggled in August and September and missed the end of the regular season with a shoulder injury. He returned in October and was lights out, though he was used carefully. This is New York’s bullpen at the moment:

King could be ready in time for spring training and, if he is, it likely pushes Abreu off the roster or Schmidt to Triple-A. The Yankees have a steady high-leverage group — Holmes, Loáisiga, and Peralta were all great in October — but there’s no such thing as too many quality relievers. With King’s status uncertain and Effross set to miss 2023, looking for more bullpen help is sensible.

Rangers a serious suitor for Rodón

The Rangers are a major player for free agent lefty Carlos Rodón, reports MLB.com. Texas has already added Jake Odorizzi and retained Martín Pérez this offseason, though they’re expected to pursue a top of the rotation starter as well, and Rodón is one of the best available. Our R.J. Anderson ranked…