Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/12/22

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: Welcome to trade deadline season, y’all. Expect every second news story from here until the August 2nd deadline to be conflicting reports about who/what the Yankees should/will be pursuing. In this piece, Ken Rosenthal has brought something different and unique to the trade deadline media game: a focus on why instead of who. He starts by talking about the 1998 trade deadline and then listing various reasons — Judge’s impending free agency, the Astros being a threat, etc. — why the Yankees should look to make a splash in the coming weeks. Given how special this season has been, albeit with a few areas of vulnerability popping up in recent days, it appears that now is the time to push all the chips in and go all-in. As Rosenthal (via a remembered conversation with Theo Epstein) says, if not now, when?

NJ.com | Kevin Manahan: Coming off the back of yesterday’s story that the Yankees are both checking in on Andrew Benintendi and looking to cut ties with Joey Gallo, two new contenders for a starting outfield gig in the Bronx have apparently entered the ring: the Diamondbacks’ David Peralta and the Cubs’ Ian Happ. All three options would help the team solve the ever-worrisome Gallo Conundrum, but it appears that, for now, Brian Cashman has some options to consider and is intent on leaving no stone unturned.

SI.com | Max Goodman: You’ve likely already heard that the Yankees are sending an absurd six players to this year’s All-Star festivities in Los Angeles. As is the case with every game of this nature, however, the organization feels like they should be sending even more people to take part. The particular names that were thrown out were, naturally, Michael King and Anthony Rizzo, but cases could potentially be made for DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres as well. Not everyone is going to make it, of course, but given the potential for injury in the lead up to All-Star Weekend, it’s entirely possible that we see one or two more Yankees join the fold.

New York Times | Tyler Kepner: If you, like me, are already tired of all the trade deadline speculation and don’t put a ton of stock in the All-Star Game, look no further than this profile of Clay Holmes, wayward reliever with serious control issues turned best reliever in baseball, for your pre-game entertainment. We’ve all seen the incredible results from Holmes as he’s worked his way into the inner circle of both Aaron Boone and the fans, but this story is a testament to his perseverance, his work ethic, and his ridiculous sinker.