Can I use `TRY_CAST` to avoid this error?

While `TRY_CAST` can be helpful in some scenarios, it's not a direct solution for this specific error. `TRY_CAST` returns `NULL` if the cast fails, but you're still trying to use that `NULL` in a logical context. You'll still need to handle the potential `NULL` result with `COALESCE` or `IS NULL`.