Aaron Judge still isn’t close to giving the Yankees a real return date, and that uncertainty is only sharpening the pressure on Brian Cashman to do something bigger before the deadline.
On Wednesday, Judge kept things deliberately vague when asked about his fractured rib. After manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that the three-time American League MVP is a couple of weeks away from fresh imaging, Judge offered no new timeline.
“I’ll give you a good update when we get some imaging and we’ll go from there,” Judge said Wednesday, according to the New York Post's Greg Joyce.
“I got nothing for you until then,” Judge added, per Joyce. “You know how it goes around here, guys can feel good, feel bad, but you got to wait on imaging.”
That leaves the Yankees where they’ve been for most of Judge’s absence: searching for offense and coming up short. They’re in the middle of a seven-game losing streak, have slipped 3.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, and are only 12-15 since Judge went on the injured list.
With August looking like the likelier target for Judge’s return and Giancarlo Stanton still out, the Yankees need a jolt. The kind that comes from a real bat, not just hoping the current mix catches fire.
That’s why CJ Abrams has become the name to watch.
The Washington Nationals shortstop hit his 18th home run Tuesday night and now leads all MLB shortstops with a career-high .866 OPS. He’s also exactly the kind of trade target that makes sense for a Yankees team trying to solve more than one problem at once.
Abrams would give New York another left-handed bat, even though the lineup already has a shortage of right-handed power. More importantly, the Yankees have seen enough to know Anthony Volpe isn’t the long-term answer at shortstop, and José Caballero doesn’t look like it either.
The appeal goes beyond the numbers. Abrams is making just $4.2 million this season and isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until 2029, which makes him a rare trade chip with both production and control.
That’s why ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel have Abrams ranked as the No. 5 trade target ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, while The Athletic has him No. 4 on its list of the top 50 trade targets.
And with Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena and Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story both sidelined, Abrams stands out as the clearest option for New York if Cashman wants to act aggressively.
The price would not be small. The Yankees would likely have to give up a pair of top-100 prospects, including Single-A shortstop Dax Kilby, their No. 2 prospect overall according to MLB Pipeline. Cashman also might need to include one of the organization’s top right-handed pitching prospects, likely Elmer Rodriguez.
George Lombard Jr., the club’s top-ranked prospect, should be off limits if the Yankees can hold the line there.
It’s a steep ask, no question. But the Yankees are staring at an offense that needs help and a shortstop situation that keeps circling the same question. A trade for Abrams would address both, and for a team with World Series aspirations, the timing matters.
In Other News...
Aaron Boone Made One Choice Yankees Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
The Yankees have spent most of this week trying to patch together an offense that has vanished at the worst possible time, and the latest loss only added to the frustration. After the 11-inning defeat to the Tigers, the clubs losing streak reached seven games, with the lineup still operating under the strain of an overnight illness that left Aaron Boone with fewer options than usual and a group that has struggled to put together anything resembling a sustained rally.
The bigger concern is how thin the margin for error has become. New York has managed only 23 hits over its last six games, the fewest in any six-game span in franchise history, and every decision now gets magnified when the bats are this quiet. Boones in-game maneuvering is already under the microscope, and after the Yankees had a chance to grab the game in the 10th before things unraveled in the 11th, it is clear the debate around his choices is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Made A Bullpen Move Fans Will Absolutely Hate
The Yankees latest stumble only added to the frustration around a bullpen that has been asked to carry a heavy load during this losing stretch. After an 11-inning loss to the Tigers completed a three-game sweep and extended the slide to seven straight, the club again found itself trying to patch together relief innings while the margin for error kept shrinking.
Then came the move fans were expecting to hate: rookie right-hander Yovanny Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a decision that landed badly because of how effective he has looked in recent relief work. In a bullpen already feeling the strain, the timing made the reaction even sharper, and the backlash around the decision quickly became part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Wont Like Boones Latest Call During This Brutal Skid
The Yankees seven-game slide has put every in-game choice under a microscope, and Aaron Boones latest decision only added to the frustration. In the middle of an extra-inning chance to finally stop the bleeding, the Yankees had their best opening to end the skid after Jos Caballeros bunt moved Spencer Jones to third, setting up a tense spot where the margin for error was tiny.
Instead of leaning into a different look at the plate, Boone stayed with Oswaldo Cabrera and later framed the call as one rooted in confidence that Cabrera could put the ball in play. It was the kind of explanation that is bound to draw second-guessing when a team is stuck in its worst slump since 2023, especially with injuries and a sputtering offense making every missed opportunity feel even bigger. [Read more 🡒]