Right fielder Aaron Judge almost never wore New York Yankees pinstripes. The Bronx Bombers almost traded him to the Atlanta Braves nine years ago, per Yankees SNY reporter Andy Martino.

Martino made the startling revelation in his book The Yankees Way. He recently elaborated on the proposed 2014 deal that would've resulted in Aaron Judge playing with Freddie Freeman in Atlanta.

Aaron Judge almost played for the Braves

The trade would've sent Aaron Judge, pitcher Luis Severino, and catcher Gary Sanchez to the Braves. New York, in turn, would've received shortstop Andrelton Simmons, outfielders Jason Heyward and BJ Upton, and infielder Chris Johnson.

Judge and Freeman would've been the Braves' best hitters had that trade scenario materialized. Among the bigger names in Atlanta's 2014 roster were Craig Kimbrel, Julio Teheran, and Justin Upton. It was merely an average roster than won 79 games that year. Including Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Severino would've given them a realistic shot at winning 85 to 90 games.

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On the flip side, the 2014 Yankees featured Carlos Beltran, Francisco Cervelli, Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, and Mark Teixiera. It was also legendary shortstop Derek Jeter's final season in the majors.

Joe Girardi's troops weren't far off from the 2014 Braves in terms of talent level. The Bronx Bombers won 84 games that year and uncharacteristically missed the postseason for the second year in a row.

Would the additions of Simmons, Heyward, Upton, and Johnson been beneficial to the Yankees' cause? Simmons and Heyward excelled during their heyday. Unfortunately, BJ Upton was a bust during his time in Atlanta. Perhaps a change of scenery would've served him well at the time.

No question those players would've helped the Yankees reach the postseason. World Series contenders? Not quite.

Thankfully, Aaron Judge wound up donning Yankees pinstripes. Judge's manager and namesake Aaron Boone recently raved about his greatness and professionalism. The failed trade became a blessing in disguise for New York.