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Aaron Judge wowed the baseball world by winning the Home Run Derby as a rookie back in 2017. He has not taken part since, however, and that appears unlikely to change anytime soon.
The New York Yankees slugger ruled out participating in this year’s derby in Texas, though he confirmed he had been asked. Judge said he felt there was “no need” to do it this year, and his stance appears unlikely to change with one exception.
“I’m not done with it. Once it’s back in New York, I’ll be there,” Judge said, via Dan Martin of the New York Post.
MLB has announced the All-Star Game venues for 2025 and 2026, which will take place in Atlanta and Philadelphia, respectively. While venues for 2027 and 2028 have yet to be announced, commissioner Rob Manfred previously suggested that Chicago and Toronto are leading contenders. In other words, Judge might be waiting a while.
It’s worth noting the new Yankee Stadium has yet to play host to All-Star week. The original Yankee Stadium hosted the event in its final season of 2008. Citi Field hosted the 2013 festivities.
Judge has held this stance for years, and he does not appear likely to change his mind now. He turned 32 in April, and at some point, it will become fair to ask if he will ever get another chance without backing down on his condition.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Yankees' Aaron Judge homers on ball he thought was a fly-out
- Yankees acquire former 20-HR hitter in trade with AL team
- The '2022 MLB home run leaders' quiz
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New Third Base Trade Options For Yankees Emerge
The Rolling Stones knew what they were talking about while belting out "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's very possible New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will find himself humming that tune ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees, like several contenders, are shopping for a power-hitting third baseman. Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez sits atop everyone's list. Running a distant second and third are Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh Pirates Gold Glover Ke'Bryan Hayes. After that, it could be slim pickings. Should Cashman find himself scrambling to make a deal, here are a couple of new names entering the conversation. "Amed Rosario would be a good fit for Yankees," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday. "Played a lot of 3B this year. .802 lifetime OPS vs. lefties (.845 this year). Suarez is top target but many would qualify as upgrades." Rosario is hitting .271 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season for the Washington Nationals. But the nine-year veteran has big-market experience, making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017. The 29-year-old is making $2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac. But wait, there's more. "Other possible third-base trade targets include Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia — in theory, Kansas City would have interest in one of the Yankees’ outfielders to play left field for them," The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Monday. Garcia, who made the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, is hitting .291 this season with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. The 25-year-old is in his fourth big-league season and is making almost $775,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Garcia still has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he won't come cheap. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees Could Land Infielder With World Series MVP Comparison Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait? Yankees One-Stop Shopping Pirates?
Maple Leafs continue to play moneyball: Three big names in play
With Mitch Marner’s move to the Vegas Golden Knights closing a major chapter in Toronto, GM Brad Treliving made a series of moves to replace his production. He might not be done. Three may be even bolder moves on the horizon. We’ve heard the names Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf before. However, the Maple Leafs are actively fielding and exploring trade scenarios as they look to reshape their roster — and according to Nick Kypreos, a handful of intriguing names are emerging in trade chatter: Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, and former Leafs fan-favorite Nazem Kadri. The most surprising name still generating buzz is Rielly. Despite being a longtime cornerstone on Toronto’s blue line, his $7.5 million cap hit and no-move clause complicate matters. Yet with the team needing help up front, and possible interest in offensive defensemen like Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson, Rielly could become part of a larger plan if he’s open to waiving. Also surprising is the talk surrounding Carlo. A recent addition to the Leafs’ defense corps, he is already being talked about behind the scenes as a potential trade piece. If he were made available, there is interest around the league, as the 6-foot-6 shutdown defender has a team-friendly cap hit and strong penalty-killing ability. Trading Carlo could get the Leafs a top-six forward. Finally, reports on the availability of Kadri remain conflicting. Some say he’s not available, while others suggest that the Calgary Flames would consider the idea. The former Maple Leaf would be a welcome addition back to Toronto, but there isn’t much of a reason for the Flames to trade him unless the return is outstanding. Kadri reportedly would consider waiving his no-move clause for a reunion. That said, getting a deal done won’t be easy, especially with Montreal also rumored to be on his short list. Whether any of these deals come to pass or are just pure speculation, one thing’s sure: the Maple Leafs aren’t standing still. Treliving is trying to get his roster to score more goals. He seems willing to entertain any idea and play Moneyball with the roster if it will help.
Washington Commanders undrafted rookie WR makes the most of his opportunity with Terry McLaurin absent at training camp
The Washington Commanders have an open door of opportunities when it comes to the wide receiver room especially with Terry McLaurin absent from practice as he continues his contract holdout. In the meantime, somebody needs to step up during training camp and earn the trust from quarterback Jayden Daniels and hopefully become an option for the offense during the season. The first player to impress as practice kicked off in Ashburn, Virginia today happened to be undrafted rookie wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks and that shouldn't surprise anyone. Ja'Corey Brooks is wasting no time fighting for a roster spot I know it's only been one practice, but that's all it took for fan-favorite undrafted rookie Brooks to hear his name mentioned on many occasions from the local media on site. Washington has a lot of questions on who can contribute this season when it comes to depth and a hungry Brooks can show his ability to track the ball and become a reliable target. Today he gained some extra respect from both Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota by catching a touchdown from the two quarterbacks during team drills. There will be plenty of opportunities for Brooks to continue to impress the coaching staff and build a connection with the quarterbacks as training camp progresses. Training camp will only ramp up from here on out, and he can continue to develop and learn the systems the coaching staff has implemented. The Commanders will add pads to practice starting July 29 and then compete against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in joint practices. The unsung hero of the WR room in Washington Practice prepares you for the moments that matter the most and we saw many rookies contribute last season and exceed expectations. A couple big plays in the Commanders' three preseason games can help boost Brooks into the final cuts before the season. Washington is the oldest team in the league and desperately needs to find key players to mold the young core of the team as well, so Brooks can put himself in the conversation as a piece for the future as well. Training camp may have just started, but it's never too early for an undrafted rookie to catch the attention of the coaching staff and media while Terry McLaurin continues to hold out for a new contract. Brooks has already been on my radar and will be a player worth keeping a close eye on throughout the rest of the offseason.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Mike Macdonald sounds off on release of ex-Seahawks TE Noah Fant
Even though it wasn't exactly surprising, the Seattle Seahawks made a huge move on Sunday by releasing starting tight end Noah Fant to free up nearly $9 million in cap space. Fant had been the starter since Seattle traded for him ahead of the 2022 season, but he never produced more than 500 yards receiving in a single season despite primarily being a pass-catching tight end. The tight end room has now been left to a far less-experienced-but-promising group. When speaking to the media following the Seahawks' first training camp practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike Macdonald was vague about the decision to move on from Fant. "I didn’t have any conversations with him," Macdonald said. "It’s just understood that [it’s] what we’re trying to achieve as a football team. We love Noah, wish him the best, but we also love the guys that are still here, and they know what’s at stake. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch that competition in the tight end room." Macdonald was probed once again for the reasoning behind Fant's release: “We just released him a few days ago. I’m not going to tell you exactly why; there’s multiple reasons,” the second-year Seahawks coach said. Fant's release will be oddly timed if they don't make another move at some point during training camp or extend other players. There's no reason why they couldn't have just had him play this season and then opt not to re-sign him unless they wanted that cap now or there was an underlying motivation that Macdonald isn't willing to discuss. It could've also just been that they wanted to provide opportunities to the younger players like AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo. Either way, the competition now consists of Barner, Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Brady Russell (in addition to his opportunities at fullback) and two undrafted free agents.
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