DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - In need of a bat, the San Diego Padres remain "particularly interested in acquiring Rangers' outfielder Joey Gallo, The Athletic's Dennis Lin reported Monday.
The Padres had an interest in acquiring Gallo at last year's trade deadline but couldn't come to an agreement after Texas asked about some of the Padres' top prospects (Luis Campusano, Luis Patino and CJ Abrams) in exchange for the slugger and 2020 AL Gold Glove winner. Rangers pitcher Lance Lynn was also a target for San Diego but he was moved to the Chicago White Sox this past winter.
Texas is unlikely to move Gallo as this point in the season but things will certainly heat up as we get closer to the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
The Rangers are one of the worst teams in baseball with a record of 23-38 and could certainly use the prospects they'd get in return for Gallo, especially if they don't see an extension in the cards (he's a free agent after the 2022 season).
The problem for the Rangers is that Gallo is hitting just .207. (135th out of 145 qualifiers). His biggest strength is his ability to still get on-base despite the low batting average, as his on-base percentage remains relatively healthy at .365 (28th out of 145).
The Padres' biggest motivation for a deal will ultimately center around the health statuses of Austin Nola and Trent Grisham. Both players were expected to be key contributors in their lineup this season but they've had extended absences thus far. Grisham has appeared in just 36 of the team's 62 games, while Nola has only played in 18 contests.
We'll see where things stand with both teams as we get deeper into the summer.
Related
