Joey Gallo, who competed in Monday’s Home Run Derby, will appear in his second All-Star Game Tuesday night, joining teammates Adolis Garcia and Kyle Gibson as one of three Rangers representatives in Denver. Known for his goliath home runs and improved outfield defense (he was last year’s American League Gold Glove recipient in right field), Gallo unfortunately may not be long for the Lone Star State. According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan (via Jessica Kleinschmidt of NBC Sports Bay Area), the 27-year-old is “very likely” to be dealt at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, scheduled for July 30th.
Gallo has been the subject of trade rumors for over a year with many expecting the 6’5” slugger to eventually bolt Texas in hopes of playing for a World Series contender. Selected with the 39th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, Gallo has one year left of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent in 2023.
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However, if you were to ask Gallo where he sees himself long-term, it's with the Rangers.
"I haven't heard anything. Obviously, I would love to stay. I love Texas. I love playing for the Rangers," he said recently on 105.3 The Fan. … "Hopefully, I'll be here a lot longer, but you'll have to get the more important, front office guys on the phone for an interview to ask them to see what they have to say. Unfortunately, it's not up to me, but obviously, I'd love to play in Texas for a long time."
The Vegas native isn’t everyone’s cup of tea—even in today’s feast-or-famine MLB, Gallo’s career 60.5-percent contact rate stands out as unusually volatile. Gallo’s career-low batting average (.213) and penchant for getting rung up (36.5 percent of his 2,136 MLB plate appearances have resulted in strikeouts) are of equal concern, though teams should still value his prolific power and surprisingly smooth glove work in right field (third among qualified outfielders in defensive runs saved).
But those numbers might not tell the complete story...
Gallo is on an absolute tear right now at the plate, hitting .301 with 15 home runs and 27 RBI in his last 30 games. And, he's among MLB's top players in advanced metrics, as noted recently by 105.3 The Fan's Jared Sandler.
Owners of MLB’s fourth-worst record at 35-55, the Rangers could be headed for a full-fledged fire sale come July 30th with Gallo (who is due a modest $6.2-million salary in 2021) among their top trade assets. Though it’s still too early to speculate what teams will or won’t be interested in Gallo, Gary Sheffield Jr. suspects he’d be a strong fit for the Yankees, who, outside of Aaron Judge, have received minimal contributions from their outfield this season.
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