With the Aug. 3 trade deadline just around the corner, no one knows what to make of the New York Yankees.

Aaron Boone's team is right there in the playoff picture and could use a reliever and another big bat. They've also been linked to the likes of Clay Holmes, Francisco Lindor and several catches.

So far, Brian Cashman and company have been radio silent. The clock is ticking, and the opportunities will be there.

However, ESPN analyst Michael Kay isn't so sure about whether they'll even make a move. If anything, it may depend entirely on Aaron Judge's return from injury.

The Yankees may not make a trade unless Aaron Judge can return

“I would say that if they knew, and I don’t think they do, but if they knew that Judge wasn’t coming back, I don’t think I would make any move because I don’t think they can win without a healthy Aaron Judge,” Kay told Buster Olney on ESPN Podcasts.

While that makes sense to a degree, Judge has been with the Yankees for a decade, and they haven't won a World Series with him, either.

Of course, he's their offensive catalyst and leader, and their bats have cooled off since he was sidelined on May 31, but still.

The Yankees still claim he'll come back at some point this season, but Kay believes they might take a cautious approach to the deadline if they're not fully certain:

“I don’t want to be in Brian’s shoes these next five days, Buster, because talk about threading a needle,” Kay continued. “You don’t know when Judge is getting back, you don’t know when Bellinger’s getting back. You don’t know when Stanton’s getting back. And although they insist that all three are going to get back, there are no guarantees in life.”

Judge is dealing with a stress fracture in his first right rib and an accompanying intercostal strain, and the team hasn't offered a clear timetable for his return.

He was batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 appearances before being sidelined, per Baseball Reference.

Even without him, the Yankees are holding onto the final AL Wild Card spot and sit on a 62-48 record. They could be a move away from breaking through, but the fans might be in for another disappointment.