Coming off a tough defeat against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, the New York Yankees are looking to get back on track against the Houston Astros on Friday evening. Having failed to score a run in the final game of a three-game series again Seattle, focusing on adding more offensive prowess could be a priority for general manager Brian Cashman.
Having a heavily right-handed lineup, the Bombers could use a bit more diversity to help them return to form. One option at the trade deadline could be Texas Rangers star Joey Gallo, who is 27 years old and currently has 23 home runs on the season. Posting 51 RBIs, Gallo hosts a .239 average with a 31.3% strikeout rate. He’s exactly the type of player that Cashman prefers to target, a big-time slugger who unfortunately strikes out a ton.
However, over the past 15 games, Gallo is hitting .327 with 19 RBIs and 11 homers. He has been a phenomenal player the past few weeks, and bringing him over to the Yankees, who desperately need an injection of scoring production, would be massive.
Considering he’s on a one-year, $6.2 million deal, he’s preparing to reach arbitration for the third time before becoming an unrestricted free agent at 29 years old. The Yankees could theoretically trade and then extend him as a long-term solution in the batting order.
Gallo does feature in right field, where Aaron Judge currently resides, which would force the team to either move him to center if possible or feature him as a designated hitter. This would be a tough situation to unravel, as Stanton normally sits in the DH spot since picking up multiple injuries that have caused him to stop playing left field for the most part.
Otherwise, the Yankees could always retain Gallo for the remainder of the season and utilize his lefty bat, avoiding an extension long term. There’s no doubt he would spark an increase in run production, as Yankee Stadium favors lefty sluggers tremendously.