Joey Gallo was a fixture in the offseason trade rumor mill. He had been a disappointment since being acquired by the New York Yankees, and with another year to go before free agency, was someone they were stuck with. He just did not quite fit on the Yankees roster, a flawed piece on a flawed team.
As it turns out, there was some substance to those rumors. The Yankees and Padres had reportedly discussed a deal to send Gallo to San Diego. Those talks came to an end when the Yankees insisted on getting a return comparable to what they had sent to Texas.
New York Yankees looking for an out with Joey Gallo
Suffice to say that Gallo has been a complete disappointment with the Yankees. He has produced a meager .156/.295/.360 batting line since heading to New York, hitting 13 homers and seven doubles. Gallo has still managed to draw walks at a solid clip, with 43 walks in 271 plate appearances, but he has also struck out 104 times.
That is par for the course with Gallo. He will strike out enough to serve as a source of renewable energy, but his ability to draw a walk somewhat mitigates those issues. His impressive power potential will entice teams despite his otherwise polarizing total package.
The Yankees also have to recognize what they have with him. As pointed out in Heyman’s article, there are questions as to whether or not Gallo can handle New York. As much as they may want to recoup a similar return to what they gave Texas for his services, that just is not possible given his lack of production.
It is known that the Padres have been interested in Gallo for some time. A.J. Preller has gone out of his way to bring players to San Diego that he was familiar with during his time with the Rangers. Gallo fits that bill, and he would give the Padres the type of power bat they have been looking for.
At this point, it seems as though the Joey Gallo Experiment in New York has run its course. The Yankees will likely need to trade him away, even if they would be selling low. If that is the case, the Padres could be the only suitor left.
The New York Yankees had discussed trading Joey Gallo to the San Diego Padres in the offseason. It may be time to revisit those talks.