It’s official: The Yankees have acquired outfielder Joey Gallo, LHP Joely Rodriguez, and cash considerations from the Texas Rangers for four minor-leaguers: infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver, and Josh Smith, and RHP Glenn Otto.
Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Texas is covering the entirety of Gallo and Rodriguez’s remaining 2021 salaries, which totals roughly $3 million.
Gallo, 27, has a .223/.379/.490 slash line in 95 games this year, with 25 home runs, 55 RBI, and MLB-high 74 walks, and 125 strikeouts. He brings a lefty power bat and Gold Glove-caliber defense to a Yankees left field position that has slashed .226/.293/.364 this season.
Gallo is also arbitration-eligible for one more year, so the Yankees will have him in the fold for 2022.
Rodriguez, 29, is 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 innings over 31 games, and for his career, the lefty has a 5.05 ERA in 76 2/3 innings over 81 outings in parts of four seasons for the Phillies and Rangers. The Yankees hold a $3m club option with a $500K buyout for 2022, and if declined, he would be pre-arbitration eligible for one more year, although he is out of minor-league options.
As for what the Yankees gave up:
Smith, 23, was the Yankees’ second-round pick in 2019, and slashed .324/.450/.477 in 33 games at Short-Season Class-A Staten Island as a rookie. Ranked as the Yankees’ No. 14 prospect according to MLB.com entering 2021, Smith had a .324/.448/.641 slash line in 39 games between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley entering Wednesday’s action, with nine home runs, 24 RBI, and 17 steals.
Duran, 22, was an international free agent signing in 2017, and was ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the organization entering this season.
He had a .290/.374/.533 slash line entering Wednesday, with 12 homers, 48 RBI, and 12 steals in 67 games at Hudson Valley.
Hauver, 22, was the Yankees’ third-round pick in 2020, and the second baseman had a .288/.445/.498 slash line with nine homers and 49 RBI in 66 games at Tampa entering Wednesday. Ranked as the Yankees’ No. 23 prospect entering 2021, Hauver was mostly an outfielder at Arizona State, but the Yankees moved him to second as a pro due to what MLB Pipeline calls “fringy arm strength and similarly graded speed,” and Hauver was pegged as a Daniel Murphy or Rob Refsnyder-type entering the pros.
Otto, 25, was a fifth-round pick in 2017, and is having a breakout year in 2021 after missing most of 2018 and part of 2019 due to blood clots in his shoulder and a ribcage issue. Otto had made 13 appearances (12 starts) between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings.
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch