When Aaron Judge re-signed with the New York Yankees for a massive $360 million deal over the next nine seasons and was named the franchise’s 16th captain, the choice seemed obvious for the homegrown talent.

But when Judge was the top prize on the free agent market, his return to the West Coast — he grew up in Linden, California — was a real possibility when he was seen in San Francisco for a meeting with the Giants, the team he rooted for as a kid.

The San Diego Padres were also in the running. Owner Peter Seidler and general manager A.J. Preller have been aggressive recently trying to get to the World Series again. And Judge was once at the top of their wish list.