ARLINGTON, Texas — Like any Yankees fan, Aaron Judge is hoping the Yankees do well at the trade deadline.
Yankees captain and pitcher Juan Soto has been leading a team with some holes, especially at third base and in the bullpen.
Asked about the team’s plans leading up to the deadline, Judge said the team is “great” but would welcome contributors.
“We’re the Yankees,” Judge said before Tuesday’s All-Star game at Globe Life Field, “and we’re going to try to put ourselves in the best position possible, and the front office will step in to fill any holes we need.”
“But we have a great team right now, so we’re open to any help we can get.”
The Yankees entered the intermission one game behind the Orioles in the AL East and 18 games above .500, but they were struggling.
The Yankees were 50-22 on June 14 but have won just eight of their 26 games since then.
Despite the return of Gerrit Cole, the starting rotation has been stunted, the bullpen has been plagued with injuries and most of the hitters outside of Judge and Soto (and maybe Ben Rice) have struggled.
The Mets finished their series against the Rockies in Queens on Sunday, and several players from both teams flew aboard the Mets’ team jet.
Pete Alonso, Jose Iglesias Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon The Iglesias’, friends since their days in Colorado, flew to Texas together to perform in some capacity at the All-Star Game.
But Alonso said he wished the plane had been busier.
“I wish they were here,” Alonso said of Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo. “I wish they were here.”
Alonso was the team’s only representative to play in the All-Star Game, while Lindor has yet to play in an All-Star Game in his four seasons in Queens, though that may have been affected by his poor start to the season.
Nimmo has been one of the better players in baseball since 2017, but somehow he has yet to be selected to an All-Star team and said he’s “not winning any popularity contests” this year.
Alonso’s request to participate in the Home Run Derby may have been the catalyst for MLB selecting him to represent the team.
