The Yankees did a thing and traded for Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo, Thursday afternoon.
And, boy, if there was ever a time for this team to make a trade of this magnitude, it’s now.
It should be noted as I’m writing this article, the Yankees are getting their butts kicked in Tampa (last time I checked, it was 14-0, Rays).
What this team should’ve done after finalizing the Gallo trade was send him a 1-song playlist with Oleta Adams’ “Get Here”.
Because it doesn’t matter how Gallo gets to the Yankees – railway, trailway, airplane, caravan, or across the desert – he needs to get there and quickly.
Prospects head to Texas, Gallo is headed to the Bronx
In the deal, the Rangers receive shortstop Josh Smith (New York’s No. 14 prospect, per MLB.com), second baseman Ezequiel Duran (No. 15), second baseman/outfielder Trevor Hauver (No. 23) and right-handed pitcher Glenn Otto (No. 28).
The Yankees are also getting left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez.
It wouldn’t be wise to jump to conclusions and predict Gallo will cure all which is wrong with this team’s offense. But he does have the type of power in his bat to help start the engine.
- Giancarlo Stanton struck three times in today’s Tampa beatdown. He’s 8 for his last 46 (.174 batting average) with 1 home run and 21 strikeouts since the All-Star break.
- Luke Voit has seen more time this season on the injured list than he has at first base. Yankees’ insider Jack Curry of the YES Network reported Voit has drawn interest in trade discussions.
- Gleyber Torres has picked it up with the bat lately, but his struggles this season played a key role in the lineup’s lack of production.
- Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier have struggled this season helping offset the loss of Aaron Hicks to the injured list.
What does he bring to the table
Gallo, at just 27 years old, brings a much-needed left-handed power bat to Yankee Stadium. He’s an obvious upgrade over Gardner and Frazier in left field. And he does something Yankees’ fans will appreciate – he knows how to draw walks and get on base!
The Yankees are also getting the inside track on getting him for the long term. He still has one year of arbitration left and isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2022 season. That’s right, he’s not a rental.
Moreover, it appears Gallo is truly looking forward to being a Yankee. There will likely be an adjustment phase to the pinstripes for him, but his presence in the lineup should help provide a spark.
The Yankees, after losing in Tampa today, dropped to 52-48 on the season. Acquiring Gallo is a move they had to make, if anything, just to shake things up. With the trade deadline ticking away into the final hours, the Yankees could still be looking for more.
It remains to be seen how rosters will look after the deadline expires, but we do know the Yankees are improved with Gallo. He just needs to hurry up and get there.
