Entering the 2021 MLB season, Aaron Judge was near the top of the list of players who seemingly had no chance of being traded before the July 30 deadline. That’s no longer the case as the New York Yankees continue to fall further out of contention.

The Yankees have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams through the first half of the year. New York is a distant fourth in the AL East and nowhere close to the top of the wild-card standings.

Usually, in July, the Yankees are looking to add players for a postseason run. Playing like a team that will be home in October with one of the American League’s oldest rosters, the case could be made that New York should actually be sellers this summer.

That has prompted MLB insiders to ask whether or not the Yankees might explore trading Judge. The 29-year-old is easily the franchise’s most valuable asset. New York could theoretically trade him for several promising young players who might help the Yankees retool.

Judge’s contract status has also forced some to question his future in the Bronx. The outfielder is set to become a free agent after the 2022 season. Judge’s production when healthy warrants a massive payday, but his age and injury history could force the Yankees to rethink giving him the long-term contract he’s expected to command.

Judge missed 37% of the team’s games from 2018-2020. He’ll turn 31 years old in the first month of the 2023 season.

Durability has not been a problem for Judge this season. Judge has been the most consistent force in the Yankees’ lineup, playing in 78 of 83 games. Judge leads the Yankees with 19 home runs, 43 RBI and a .284/.379/.523 slash line.

Judge is the only Yankee starting in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. It’s his third All-Star appearance since his 2017 rookie campaign, during which he finished second in the AL MVP voting.

Public statements from the front office suggest the Yankees won’t consider making Judge available. Within the last week, General Manager Brian Cashman said the team’s record isn’t reflective of their talent, while owner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters that he’s not even thinking about the team being sellers at the deadline.

Steinbrenner indicated that he might even add significant payroll to improve the Yankees’ chances of competing for a championship.

Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman are New York’s only other All-Stars besides Judge. Both pitchers have struggled mightily in recent weeks, playing a major role in the Yankees’ slide down the standings.

Cole is in the second season of a record-setting nine-year, $324 million contract. Chapman’s $17.2 million salary makes him the third-highest paid reliever in all of baseball.

The Yankees started the season with the AL’s largest payroll as the clear favorites to win the pennant. Unless something drastic changes, the team will miss the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Aaron Judge New York Yankees
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees lines out to right field against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning in Game Three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 08, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images
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