New York Daily News

Judge: We’d make room for Harper

- BY MARK FISCHER

On the 99th day of free agency, No. 99 is speaking up.

Aaron Judge is willing to move to center field — where he played all of one game last season — to get Bryce Harper to realize his overstated Yankees fantasy.

“Wherever he wants to play, wherever he wants to play, we’ll make it work,” Judge recently told TMZ.

Judge, though, also hinted Harper might be better equipped for center due to his speed.

“Anytime you can add an MVP to a team, it’s going to make them better,” Judge said.

If only GM Brian Cashman would heed his superstar’s advice.

Other than teasing the baseball world with his notorious “fully operationa­l Death Star” comments in December, Cashman has seemed detached in adding the Mickey Mantle fanatic for the $300-million deal super- agent Scott Boras is seeking.

The Bronx Bombers already have a flooded outfield, including Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier and, yes, still Jacoby Ellsbury. Thus, the Phillies, Padres, White Sox and Nationals are considered the front-runners to end Harper’s free agency nightmare.

Harper’s left-handed bat would surely be welcomed in a Yankees lineup full of right-handed hitters. And Yankees fans are likely dreaming of the damage Harper would do with that short porch in right field. Harper, the 2015 NL MVP, clobbered 34 home runs last season and slashed .249/.393/ .496/.889.

Unfortunat­ely for Judge, this long-rumored match doesn’t seem likely.

But he did offer four words of advice for Harper and co- high-profile free agent Manny Machado.

“Make the right choice.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States