Trades, milestones and shocks that could define 2nd half

Now that a great All-Star Game is behind us, the second half of the season has begun. With it comes several big storylines as we head toward the regular season's stretch run. As the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline nears and clubs get ready to make a postseason push, here's what to watch for:

Soto, where will you go?

The upcoming Trade Deadline could very well be the most intriguing in MLB history because of one player: Juan Soto of the Nationals. He's just 23 years old, he's already being compared to the likes of the legendary Ted Williams, and he recently turned down a $440 million contract extension offer from Washington.

So the big question is: Where will Soto be on Aug. 3? Will the Nats hold onto him with hopes of making him another offer he'll accept before he becomes a free agent in 2024, or will he be wearing a new uniform? Whatever happens could result in a seismic shift in baseball -- so far, the Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Padres and Yankees have reportedly shown interest in a potential blockbuster of blockbusters, and there are likely more clubs on that list.

The return in a Soto trade might be the largest we've ever seen. Talk about a fascinating few days coming up.

When deGrom?

Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom hasn't taken the mound in a Major League game in more than a year. Despite that, the Mets have held on to first place in the NL East as they await the return of their ace.

That return hit another speed bump when deGrom's scheduled simulated game on Tuesday was pushed back to Thursday due to mild shoulder soreness. If the shoulder soreness subsides and all goes well, deGrom could be back by early August.

When he's been on the mound in Minor League rehab starts, deGrom has looked good, giving up just one unearned run over 8 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out 15 over three starts (two for Single-A St. Lucie and one for Triple-A Syracuse).

When Tatis?

Like deGrom, we haven't seen superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in a game this season. Any time Tatis is sidelined is a terrible time, and it seems like forever since we've seen him dazzle us at the plate or in the field with his tremendous athleticism.

Tatis had surgery to repair a fractured left wrist in March, and the good news is he's been swinging off a tee and has been cleared for all other baseball activities, including fielding and throwing.

The 23-year-old already has 81 home runs and 52 steals to his name in 273 career games, and we can't wait to see him back at short for the Padres.

Will Judge surpass Maris?

Aaron Judge is having the season of his life so far, and that's saying quite a bit given the fact that he was the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and finished runner-up in MVP Award voting that season. He set a rookie record with 52 home runs that year, and the question in 2022 is: Will he get to 62?

The number 61 remains a special one in Yankees lore -- it's the franchise record for homers, set by Roger Maris in 1961. The all-time record is 73 by Barry Bonds in 2001, and two others -- Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa -- have hit more than 61 homers in a single season.

Judge smashed his 34th homer in his 90th game of the season Thursday against the Astros. Through 90 games in 1961, Maris had 35 home runs. The last player to make a run at Maris' 1961 total was Judge's slugging teammate, Giancarlo Stanton, back when he was with the Marlins in 2017 -- Stanton finished with 59 homers that year.

What's next on the 'J-Rod Show'?

Julio Rodríguez has burst onto the Major League scene as the man to beat in the AL Rookie of the Year race. He set a record in the season's first half by becoming the fastest player in AL/NL history to reach 15 home runs and 20 steals in his career (81 games).

If that wasn't enough, he then thrilled us with 81 homers in the Home Run Derby, finishing runner-up to Soto when the barrage of home runs was over.

What will the next episode of the "J-Rod Show" feature? Stay tuned.

Will the M's and O's keep shocking the world?

The Mariners open the second-half schedule on a 14-game winning streak as they gear up to host the AL West-leading Astros on Friday, and the Orioles have won 11 of 13 as they welcome the Yankees to Camden Yards.

After surging late last season to nearly grab their first postseason berth since 2001, the Mariners are surging again and will make another run to try and end the longest postseason drought in the game. The Orioles, meanwhile, aren't supposed to be 3 1/2 games out of an AL Wild Card spot coming out of the All-Star break, but here they are after a remarkable month so far.

Things are going to be really interesting in Seattle and Baltimore the rest of the way in 2022.

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