Less than an hour before the Texas Rangers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, Rangers’ outfielder Joey Gallo was suddenly scratched. Players have suddenly been removed before for non-trade reasons, including Washington’s Trea Turner in the middle of a game Tuesday (the Nationals’ game Wednesday was eventually postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests, including Turner), but this one does appear to be a trade of Gallo (seen above hitting against the Diamondbacks Tuesday) to the New York Yankees. Here’s more on that:
Gallo was scratched for non-medical reasons. It appears a trade is going down.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) July 28, 2021
Hearing from multiple sources that Joey Gallo is being traded to the New York Yankees.
— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) July 29, 2021
BREAKING: The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, sources tell ESPN. The deal is pending medical review.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2021
Rangers-Yankees deal in final review. It appears to be a multi-player return for Rangers, who according to source are also sending LH John King to Yankees. Per @Jomboy_ The Rangers would receive 6 prospects in return.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) July 29, 2021
The Texas Rangers will receive RHP Glenn Otto, 2B Ezequiel Duran, SS Josh Smith and 2B/OF Trevor Hauver as part of the package from the New York Yankees in the Joey Gallo trade, sources tell ESPN.
Rangers are getting massive haul of prospects in this deal. Others involved, too.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2021
Here’s how the Rangers’ Bally Sports Southwest broadcast discussed this:
https://twitter.com/jgroc/status/1420537428478205952
Gallo does seem likely to help the Yankees out in at least the short term. He’s 27, and has produced 3.4 wins above replacement (per Fangraphs) this year, hitting .223/.379/.490 and contributing an Ultimate Zone Rating of 4.4. He’s also under team control for another year, and their ballpark seems suited to his home run-focused game (his 25 home runs this year are tied for sixth in MLB). But the Yankees are giving up quite a lot of prospects here. We’ll see how this works out for both teams in the long run.
UPDATE: The Rangers will actually get four prospects instead of the initially reported six, and the Yankees will get reliever Joely Rodriguez instead of John King.
The New York Yankees’ deal to acquire outfielder Joey Gallo from Texas had undergone slight adjustments, sources tell ESPN, but is expected to be finalized Thursday.
As @JackCurryYES said, this version will send four prospects to Texas, not six, and Joely Rodriguez to New York.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2021
The return to Texas for OF Joey Gallo and left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez, if the trade is completed as expected, would be 2B Ezequiel Duran, SS Josh Smith, right-hander Glenn Otto and 2B/OF Trevor Hauver, per sources.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2021
[Evan Grant on Twitter; photo via Tim Heitman-USA Today Sports]
