Joey Gallo was traded to the Yankees nearly a year ago, and he has been a polarizing figure among the fanbase, to say the least.
Gallo’s high strikeout and pull rates have not been liked by a large contingent of Yankee fans, and those tendencies have been even more glaring considering the two-time All-Star has struggled badly since the trade, batting .174 with a .394 slugging percentage since donning the pinstripes.
Gallo was brought in, along with Joely Rodriguez, for Glenn Otto, Ezequiel Duran, Josh Smith, and Trevor Hauver just days before last year’s deadline. So, while Gallo is struggling, how are those prospects doing with Texas?
Otto was the first of the group to reach the majors, but was knocked around in six starts last season, allowing 24 earned runs in 23.1 innings. This season has been slightly better, posting a 4.24 ERA in eight starts this season. But the 26-year-old’s FIP is even higher than last season, sitting at an inflated 5.17.
Smith broke into the majors just on Memorial Day weekend, and started off with a bang in the form of the 3-for-4 day at the plate in a win over the Rays. He had five hits in 12 at-bats in what was a very fast start to his big-league career, but is now on the 10-day IL. Still, the former second-round pick made a nice first impression as one of several fill-ins for Texas helping out during a previous COVID-19 outbreak.
Duran also made his big-league debut this season, getting called up two weeks ago, and he has been an immediate boost for Texas. In 53 plate appearances, he is batting .308 with an .840 OPS and six extra-base hits. The 23-year-old infielder hit a go-ahead triple against the Tigers in the ninth on Friday, continuing to be a big improvement for the Rangers at third base despite never playing higher than Double-A.
Hauver, a third-round pick in 2020, is still in High-A with the Rangers, and batting just .237, though he does have an OBP above .400. Still, at just 23 years old, it’s too early to tell what he can become, though so far it’s been an underwhelming stint in High-A.
The Yankees turned Rodriguez into reliever Miguel Castro thanks to a trade with the Mets, and after early control problems, Castro has been a valuable bullpen arm for New York, holding a 3.60 ERA on the season and helping soften the blow of losing Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Aroldis Chapman to early.
So, who won the trade? Gallo has been bad for the Yanks, to say the list, but given the prospect haul and how small of a sample size they’ve had in the majors, it’s too early to tell.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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