MLB.com | Thomas Harrigan: Picked into the All-Star Game for a fifth career starter and first Yankee, Giancarlo Stanton fended off a late challenge in fan votes from Toronto’s George Springer. Stanton joins his teammate Aaron Judge, the AL’s overall voting leader, on the starting grid alongside Mike Trout, and he’s hinted he is could also compete in the Home Run Derby. Not surprisingly, Jose Trevino’s attempt to start behind the plate was shy against Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk, who rode to a win. So if Trevino comes into the squad, it will be as a reserve. These will be announced late Sunday afternoon.
Sports Illustrated | Max Goodman: If there’s one constant in Brian Cashman’s career, it’s that he’s always willing to commit around the trade deadline. The Yankees GM is always one of the busier players in the game this time of year, but insists his plans for August 2 haven’t changed even with the Yankees some way ahead of the AL East. The team will likely still be looking to make marginal additions, but at 15.5 games the strategy hasn’t changed dramatically.
NJ.com | Bridget Hyland: One of those improvements, while likely more than a marginal addition, could be Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds. The price of the 2021 All-Star would be exorbitant, and any conversations about Reynolds would have to at least start with Jasson Dominguez, if not a better prospect, at the center.
New York Daily News | Kristie Ackert: Gerrit Cole has a problem with Rafael Devers when the Red Sox third baseman twice took him deep Thursday night for six career homers against him and one the only other time he came on the plate went for a walk. Wandy Peralta, meanwhile, had no problem taking on Devers and constructing a weak groundout, the latest chapter in a much underrated run for the left-back. It has an ERA under 2.00 without the dazzling strikeout rate we’ve come to expect from modern emergency vehicles.
New York Post | Ian O’Connor: Despite the dominance the Yankees have shown over their division – again by a 15.5 game lead – the next three teams in the AL East would own the three wild card slots. Year after year, the East is baseball’s best division, and while it feels like the Yankees are destined for a showdown with the Astros in October, it could end up with a division rival standing in their way.