One way or another, the New York Yankees need to figure out what to do with struggling outfielder, Joey Gallo. The 28-year-old slugger is preparing to hit free agency in 2023, but on the best team in baseball, he’s having one of his worst seasons ever.
Recently, Gallo spoke about his desire to stay with the Yankees at the trade deadline, and while management supports him endlessly, general manager Brian Cashman may find a team willing to take on the rest of his contract and offer a bit of value in return.
But Gallo, who like Benintendi will be a free agent after the year, has continued to struggle at the plate, and the Yankees have held discussions about him with multiple teams.
Cashman has already had conversations with multiple teams about acquiring Gallo, who’s hitting .166 with a 28.8% on base rate and .341 slugging percentage. He’s only hit 10 homers this year over 240 plate appearances, including 21 RBIs, a 14.6% walk rate, and a putrid 38.3% strikeout rate.
Despite the unbelievable amount of strikeouts, Gallo is recording a 48.7% hard-hit rate and 18.6% barrel rate, indicating he’s making good contact when he doesn’t whiff on the ball.
Gallo is generating a 50.9% flyball rate but just a 17.5% HR/FB ratio, down about 10% from last season.
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The Yankees need to get something in return for Gallo:
It seems as if the Yankees are trying to deal Gallo as a singular player, maybe for more bullpen support. The Yankees bullpen has been solid the season, but with Ron Marinaccio dealing with shoulder information and Jonathan Loáisiga fighting his way back from the same, they have faced a bit of adversity in recent days.
A team looking for a lefty slugger that plays solid defense will find a lot of value in Gallo. Most of his issues are’s psychological, since playing for a team like the Yankees can be overwhelming. Considering the entire squad is performing well and Gallo is one of the lone dark spots, it makes sense Cashman is trying to move him.
The question is, how much is he really worth, and is a team willing to take a chance on him at about $5 million left on his current contract? The pool of suitors quickly thins when you realize only a team with playoff aspirations makes sense for Gallo.