5 key questions for the Yankees in the second half

Will Juan Soto or Luis Castillo be wearing pinstripes this year?

Both stars are on the market and both would be a fit on the roster (as any superstar player generally is). But GM Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner love the organization’s top prospects and it will take a haul to land either player. Among the many reasons the days leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline will be fascinating.

Will the Yankees be able to find a trade partner for Joey Gallo?

The outfielder has never looked especially comfortable in pinstripes, and the expectations that come with them, almost since his arrival at last year’s trade deadline. Even with the struggles, the Yankees won’t have any trouble moving Gallo, seen by many in the industry as a classic change-of-scenery player.

Do the Yankees really need to make any major roster moves?

They’ll at least explore deals for Soto and/or Castillo because generational talents — more Soto in this case — simply aren’t available via trade all that often. As for the current roster, there aren’t a lot of holes, but the Yankees would like to add rotation depth and, if possible, an outfield upgrade. But as long as the roster continues to stay relatively healthy, not much has to be done.

Can Aaron Judge keep up this pace?

Judge bet on himself — and put a target squarely on his back — before the season by turning down the Yankees' eight-year extension offer worth just over $230 million. Judge handled the pressure just fine, matching Roger Maris for most homers hit by a Yankee before the break (33) and is among the favorites for AL MVP. With so much bad pitching in the sport, there’s no reason to expect a significant second-half drop-off from Judge.

Any chance of complacency?

That can become an issue for some teams when they have the kind of division lead the Yankees do but don’t bet on it with this group. The “hunger” Aaron Boone often talks about as being palpable in the clubhouse is not the cliche it usually is.