Aaron Judge remains by far the Yankees’ main target (and the one they’re most likely to sign), but they are simultaneously pursuing many top free-agent starting pitchers, shortstops and outfielders. 

The Yankees feel pretty good (or as good as they can now) about their chances to retain Judge despite the public start of his tour with the deep-pocketed Giants. Judge’s ultimate call will affect many other pursuits, only logical since the Yankees are believed to have $300 million plus on the table to the AL home run record-holder. 

A Judge signing likely would mean the Yankees would drop their current dalliances with superstar shortstops Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and presumably Dansby Swanson. If so, they would go with a rookie — either Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe (interestingly, it doesn’t sound as if it will be Isiah Kiner-Falefa in any case). 

And in a development that has gone mostly unreported, the Yankees also are looking to augment their solid rotation, and have been in contact with Hall of Fame bound Justin Verlander, Japanese star Kodai Senga and resurgent lefty Carlos Rodon as well as middle-of-the-order types, such as their own Jameson Taillon. 

They also are considering some trade targets. Those include Pablo Lopez, whom they nearly acquired in a deadline deal involving Gleyber Torres, who fits the Marlins. The pitching pursuits are said to be “on different tracks” so they may not be as impacted by the success or non-success with top-target Judge. 

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The Yankees’ confidence level on Verlander is low. He returned to the Astros after they pursued him with similar dollars last winter and they wouldn’t be surprised if he returned again following his third Cy Young award and Houston’s first legitimate World Series title. Yankees people very much like Rodon, who’s younger than the top two free-agent starters — Verlander and Mets star Jacob deGrom — and who fashioned an All-Star 2022 season. 

The Yankees are seeking multiple outfielders and remain in touch with most of a list that includes their own Andrew Benintendi, on-base machine Masataka Yoshida, former Met Michael Conforto and newly free Cody Bellinger. Benintendi and Yoshida fit a need for consistent hitters, though Benintendi may prefer to play elsewhere. Conforto, said to be healthy now, would fit Yankee Stadium, as might new free agent Bellinger, who’d also give them potentially one of the best defensive outfields. They’ve been in contact with Brandon Nimmo, too, but he’s expensive enough that he’d likely only be in play if Judge were to leave.