New York Yankees

Mickey Mantle might have retired in 1968, but the New York Yankees legend is still capable of rewriting the record books.

The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan reported a Mantle card from the 1952 Topps set is due to hit the auction block in August. The card's final price tag could surpass $10 million, which would shatter the existing record.

A T206 Honus Wagner fetched $6.6 million at auction in August 2021.

"The quality of the card is the key," said Heritage Auctions' Derek Grady of the Mantle card. "Four sharp corners, the gloss and the color jumps off the card."

A different Topps 1952 Mantle went for $5.2 million in January 2021, which was a record until the Wagner auction bested it.

Mantle was a seven-time World Series champion and a three-time MVP across an 18-year career. His 536 home runs and 116.3 offensive WAR remain second in Yankees history behind Babe Ruth.

The New York Yankees are reportedly exploring the possibility of trading for Washington Nationals star Juan Soto.

According to Jack Curry of YES Network, the American League East team "reached out to express interest in" a potential trade. The move put the ball in Washington's court as it decides what would be an acceptable trade package for a 23-year-old under team control through the 2024 campaign.

Soto isn't the only slugger on New York's radar, as its own star in Aaron Judge is set for free agency after this season.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Saturday that Judge is more of a priority, which isn't a surprise since the 30-year-old is the face of the franchise and has told reporters he wants to stay with the Bronx Bombers.

Still, it's not every day a player of Soto's caliber becomes available. He is in the early stages of his prime, and the Yankees or another team could make him a franchise cornerstone for a decade-plus.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last Saturday that the Nationals were willing to listen to trade proposals because Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer.

Many teams probably don't have the prospects or financial resources to commit to both Soto and Judge, but the Yankees operate in the No. 1 market with their own television channel and a payroll that is almost always among the tops in the league.

Forbes ranked them as Major League Baseball's most valuable franchise at $6 billion in March.

Soto is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who has already won a batting title and World Series crown. New York has a World Series-caliber roster already, as evidenced by its MLB-best 65-30 record, and adding the Nationals star ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline would be quite the blow for other contenders.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone downplayed his club's struggles against the Houston Astros this year after losing both ends of a doubleheader Thursday.

The Astros won the regular-season series against the Yanks 5-2, including wins in each of the teams' last three meetings. Boone, though, insisted those results aren't cause for concern as long as they're not replicated in the playoffs.

"I understand it's a big story," Boone told reporters. "I understand the season we're in. It's not going to matter unless [it's] October. If we happen to come back here in October we're going to show up. We're going to expect to win. We think we're really good. They're really good. Don't overstate this."

While the season series appears lopsided on the surface, the total score was a more modest 27-22 in favor of Houston. None of the games were decided by more than three runs.

The reaction is likely inflated by the Astros' recent postseason success against the Yankees. They knocked them out of the playoffs in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Another playoff matchup is growing more likely with each passing month as the clubs establish themselves as the top teams in the American League. The Yankees (64-30) are 2.5 games ahead of the Astros (61-32) and then there's a significant drop off to the Tampa Bay Rays (51-41) in the race for home-field advantage.

If Houston ultimately passes New York atop the AL standings, the wins from the head-to-head battles could have more long-term meaning.

"It's definitely news to watch us play each other," Yanks outfielder Giancarlo Stanton said. "But at the end of the day, we've got to stay ahead of them for home-field."

After the Astros completed Thursday's doubleheader sweep, manager Dusty Baker was more focused on the team's lead over the red-hot Seattle Mariners (51-42), who won 14 straight games leading into MLB's recently completed All-Star break.

"This is huge for us to start out 2-0, to take our lead back to double digits," Baker said.

A lot can change between now and October, especially with the trade deadline looming and Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto among the players who could shift MLB's balance of power before the stretch run.

The Yankees and Astros have already built strong cases as perhaps the league's best teams, though, with the NL's Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves also in the discussion.

So Boone is right to suggest the small sample size from this year's regular-season meetings don't carry a lot of weight in the big picture.

His tune may change if the Astros knock the Yankees out of the playoffs once again, though.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is set to enter free agency at the end of the season, and he fueled speculation that this could be his last year in pinstripes.

While speaking to ESPN's Marly Rivera before Tuesday's All-Star Game, Judge was asked about a young fan named Jacob who was afraid his favorite player won't be a member of the team after this year. The 30-year-old gave an answer that is sure to raise some eyebrows.

"Jacob, buddy, we've got a lot of great Yankees on this team. There are a lot of great Yankees who will be here for a long time, so don't be upset," Judge said. "Hopefully you'll be a Judge fan for life."

Judge reportedly turned down a $213.5 million contract offer from the Yankees before the start of the 2022 season. He's earning $19 million this year after coming to an agreement with New York hours before a scheduled arbitration hearing.

Judge is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season with a .284 batting average, an MLB-leading 33 home runs and 70 RBI. Losing him this offseason would be a major blow to the Yankees franchise.

The first episode of The Captain, the highly-anticipated documentary centered around former New York Yankees shortstop and Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, premiered Monday night on ESPN.

The first installment of the seven-episode docuseries delved into how race impacted Jeter's childhood and gave a look at his start with the Yankees after getting drafted in 1992.

Here's a look at what fans were buzzing about on social media during Monday's episode.

The Houston Astros had the No. 1 pick in the 1992 draft, which they used to select outfielder Phil Nevin. Passing up on the chance to draft Jeter caught the attention of fans on Twitter.

Jeter himself was active online and posted a couple of tweets throughout the episode, taking the opportunity to poke fun at himself at times.

The second episode of The Captain will premiere on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes will then be released weekly, with the next two premiering on July 28, followed by two more on Aug. 4 and the finale on Aug. 11.

Add New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole to the list of players who would like to see Juan Soto playing in the Big Apple.

The Washington Nationals outfielder reportedly has been made available in trade talks after turning down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer. Cole said Monday that he hopes Soto lands in New York.

"You know where I really don't want him going—I don't want him going up to Boston," Cole told reporters. "But if he's going to go, I want him to come to us."

Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge echoed Cole's sentiments, saying it "would be fun" to see Soto playing in New York.

The 23-year-old is set to play in his second All-Star Game after a stellar first half of the season that saw him bat .250/.405/.497 with 20 home runs and 43 RBI.

Soto was asked directly about potential landing spots, including New York, while speaking to reporters Monday, and he discussed his love for playing at Citi Field. He has a .350 batting average with 10 home runs and a 1.173 OPS in 30 career games at the stadium.

"Playing in New York against the Mets, I love it," Soto said. "I love to play against them, hit the ball hard. If you see my numbers at that field, it's just amazing. Against them, it's a great feeling."

Soto's lefty swing would also be tailor-made for the short porch at right field in Yankee Stadium. He has three homers in four career games in the Bronx.

"I've never hit the ball over there," said Soto, whose home runs against the Yankees went to the opposite field twice and right center once. "Playing against the Yankees is really cool, to hear the noise and shut it down."

While Soto reportedly expressed a desire to stay with the Nationals, he admitted that he's not thrilled to be the subject of trade speculation.

"A couple weeks ago, they were saying they would never trade me," Soto said. "Now all these things have come out. It feels really uncomfortable. You don't know what to trust. But at the end of the day, it's out of my hands what decision they make."

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is out of the lineup for Thursday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox due to a lower-body injury, manager Aaron Boone announced.

Boone added that Judge would be available to be used in a pinch-hit situation.

Judge has been one of the top hitters in baseball this season, entering the day with an MLB-leading 30 home runs and a .287 average in 80 games.

The only question is whether the outfielder can remain on the field as he tries to lead the Yankees to a title.

The 30-year-old stayed healthy in 2021, appearing in 148 games after injuries slowed him down the past few years. The outfielder played just 28 of 60 games during the shortened 2020 campaign after missing 110 games over the previous two years combined.

Aside from the nine games he missed in July while on the COVID-19 list, Judge avoided the issues that plagued him in the past.

Judge took advantage of the opportunity while earning his third All-Star selection before finishing fourth in MVP voting. He ended the year with a .287 average and 39 home runs with 98 RBI.

Losing this type of production in the lineup would hurt the Yankees as they try to contend in the AL East, but there is quality outfield depth between Giancarlo Stanton, Joey Gallo and others.

Missing an extended stretch could also be damaging for Judge, who can hit free agency after this season.

With no room available on the New York Yankees pitching staff, Manny Banuelos will attempt to carve out a role for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Yankees announced Sunday they have traded Banuelos to the Pirates for cash considerations.

The Yankees designated Banuelos for assignment Tuesday. They had 10 days to put the left-hander on waivers, trade him or release him. He recorded a 2.16 ERA and eight strikeouts in 8.1 innings in four appearances for New York.

A former top prospect, the 31-year-old Banuelos has struggled to find an MLB role. He signed with the Yankees in 2008 out of Mexico as an international free agent.

After the 2010 season, John Manuel of Baseball America ranked Banuelos as the fourth-best prospect in New York's system behind Jesus Montero, Gary Sanchez and Dellin Betances.

Injuries became a problem for Banuelos during the 2012 season. He only made six starts at Triple-A and had Tommy John surgery that kept him out for all of 2013.

The Yankees traded Banuelos to Atlanta in 2015. He made his big league debut with the club that season, posting a 5.13 ERA in seven appearances.

Elbow injuries continued to plague Banuelos in 2015 and 2016. Atlanta designated him for assignment late in the 2016 season, and he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

After spending one season apiece with the Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations, Banuelos was traded to the Chicago White Sox after the 2018 season. He made a career-high 16 appearances in MLB with the White Sox in 2019 but struggled with a 6.93 ERA over 50.2 innings.

Banuelos spent 2020 and part of 2021 playing with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He signed with Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League in July 2021.

The Yankees brought Banuelos back as a free agent in January. He had a 2.35 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 30.2 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before getting called up May 26.

The Pirates can offer Banuelos the opportunity to pitch on a consistent basis for the rest of the season. They aren't trying to compete for a playoff spot and can use the final three months to evaluate players who could contribute in 2023.