The New York Yankees have a seriously problem with one spot in their lineup and one corner outfield position. That serious problem is the black hole that is Joey Gallo. During the trade deadline last year, the Yankees pulled off a deal to acquire the power hitting lefty.
Gallo checked all the boxes for the analytics department. He walked a ton, he is athletic, plays good defense, and swings a power bat from the left side. Seemed like the perfect guy to pair with the likes of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. The only question was whether or not he could handle New York.
Well, we’ve gotten our answer to that question. Joey Gallo has now played 120 games with the Yankees and to say he’s been atrocious would be putting it lightly. This season, he’s batting just .167 while hitting nine home runs and driving in 18 runs. This is not the guy the Yankees thought they’d be getting last year.
Gallo has found himself in the nine-hole of the lineup and has turned into a sure out. The majority of the time he’s turned into a guaranteed strikeout. It’s been really rough to watch especially because he is a player that cares so much about his performance. However, he just wasn’t meant for New York.
The Yankees have been the best team in baseball this year despite the fact that Gallo has been abysmal. If they could get more production from Gallo’s spot, they’d be even better. With that in mind, they need to move on and they have options as the deadline approaches.
Yankees Options
The first option is the easiest option for the Yankees. That option would be dumping Gallo for whatever you could get for him and promote former top prospect Estevan Florial. Florial is having a sensational season at AAA. He’s batting near 300 and he’s shown some pop as well.
Not too mention he’s also swiped more than 20 bags already this year. He plays solid defense and would give the Yankees a lot more production out of that spot. However, Florial might not be the answer because he might be used in a trade to acquire the top option.
The top option according to many in baseball is Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi. Yankees fans should be very familiar with Benintendi from his time with the Red Sox. In his walk-year, Benintendi has played sensational defense and he’s batting over 300 for the Royals.
We know that he can handle the pressures of the big market and he would be a welcomed addition for New York. Both Florial and Benintendi are lefty’s so you don’t lose any balance in the lineup going in either direction. I think the fork has been in Gallo for a while now. It’s time to pull the plug and look at the alternatives.