Yankees Acquire Joey Gallo from Rangers for Six Minor Leaguers

 The Yankees are in dire straits. They are falling farther and farther back of the AL East and wild card race and need to make moves if they are serious about competing for a playoff spot this season. 

 

What to do? Do what the Yankees always do. Give up a ton of prospects for a top flight All-Star. 

This time the All-Star is in the form of outfielder Joey Gallo, formally of the Texas Rangers. Going back to Texas are six minor league prospects including pitchers Glenn Otto and Randy Vasquez, second baseman Eziequiel Duran, short stop Josh Smith, infielder/outfielder Trevor Hauver and outfielder Everson Pereira. 

Otto is a big chip going back. He was ranked 27th among the Yankees top 30 prospects this season, and was lights out for the Somerset Patriots this season in Double-A. 

Getting Gallo gives the Yankees the left-hander power bat that they do not have, but it also gives them another hitter who is struggling to hit above .200. Gallo is hitting only .223 this year with 125 strikeouts. He is well on his way to striking out more than 200 times this year. 

This for a hitter who has proven to be feast of famine throughout his career. Gallo has 25 homers and 55 RBI this, despite the poor batting average. For his career Gallo owns 145 home runs, but is only a .211 hitter. His best season came two years ago in an injury riddled year when he hit a career best .253. 

This is what the Yankees gave up the farm for? A left-handed version of Gary Sanchez? 

Yes, Gallo is an All Star, but that has more to do with the fact he had back-to-back 40 home run seasons in 2017 and 2018 than anything he has done with the bat or glove. Defensively, he is a right fielder; which means the Yankees essentially have three natural right fielders in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gallo. Nice. 

The best part of the deal is that Gallo's contract number of $2.2 million, and is signed through 2022. So the Yankees won't have to pay him much over the next year and a half. 

This is a truly risky move by New York. They are so far out of the playoffs that adding another struggling offensive piece was not exactly what the doctor ordered, especially if it cost the team valuable prospects who were playing well. Yes, you have to give up something to get something, but hte Yankees were better off focusing on pitching, which has been their biggest issue all season. 

Chalk it up to another panic move by Brian Cashman, whose job might be on the line at the end of the season.