MLB Rules On Mets-Yankees Collusion Investigation

It raised some eyebrows in MLB's head offices when a report emerged earlier this month that the New York Mets would not pursue the New York Yankees' free agent Aaron Judge out of "mutual respect". Now baseball has finished an investigation into the alleged 'improper communication' between the teams, and they found no collusion.

NEWS: According to @BleacherReport, after Major League Baseball’s investigation, there was no collusion between the #Mets and #Yankees regarding free-agent Aaron Judge. #LGM pic.twitter.com/1WjMexGHye

— GENY Mets Report (@genymets) November 23, 2022

“We’ve completed our investigation,” a senior MLB executive told TIME. “And we’ve notified the MLBPA that there is no basis for any claim of collusion.” 

The whole affair originated when Andy Martino of SNY.com stated in an article in early November that the New York Mets "will not be fighting the Yankees for Aaron Judge,” and that the Mets “see Judge as a Yankee, uniquely tailored to be an icon in their uniform, stadium and branding efforts. [Mets owner] Steve Cohen and [Yankees owner] Hal Steinbrenner enjoy a mutually respectful relationship, and do not expect to upend that with a high-profile bidding war.”

The players association was concerned about the possibility of collusion, and whether the "mutually respectful" agreement could harm Judge's free agency. 

But let's face it, the chances of the MLBPA being able to prove that communications between the Yankees and Mets hurt Judge’s free agency are slim and none. Not when Judge is set to sign a contract with his team of choice (i.e. likely the Yankees or the San Francisco Giants, with whom there were "significant developments" this week) of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $300 to $400 million dollars.

The union has so far refused to comment.

Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports