The Texas Rangers could actually trade for Joey Gallo

Aug 26, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Joey Gallo (13) looks on before a game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Joey Gallo (13) looks on before a game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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This can’t be real, can it? Not after just two-plus months as a Yankee after being acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for four prospects?

Well, feast your eyes on this, Rangers fans. Joey Gallo could be on the outs in the Bronx as the Yankees are reportedly fielding trade calls on the Gold Glover.

Could the Texas Rangers trade for Joey Gallo after sending him to the Yankees just a few months ago?

The one (or more) AL West team(s) involved probably isn’t Texas… but it could be!

It was a tale of two seasons for Gallo in 2021, as he rebounded from a lost 2020 season with the Rangers with an .869 OPS and 25 homers en route to an All-Star selection prior to a July trade deadline deal that would have him donning pinstripes.

After arriving in New York, however, Gallo regressed to a .707 OPS. He did hit 13 home runs during the two-month stint, though, which brought his total power output to 38 long balls in 2021, his highest number since back-to-back 40+ homer seasons in 2017 and 2018.

Given all of the criticism he has taken from New York fans and media, it’s not surprising that the Yankees would be taking trade calls on Gallo. They’re also pretty good at mismanaging assets, and selling low on this slugging outfielder would certainly qualify as that.

Gallo would not command nearly as much in a trade from the Yankees that he commanded in the deal that sent him there in the first place. The Texas Rangers did really well to receive four well-regarded prospects (Ezequiel Duran and Glenn Otto among them) in return for their All-Star, and with this latest rumor, the trade only looks even better.

But how shrewd would it be for Jon Daniels and Chris Young to pull the trigger on a Gallo trade with the Yankees after having just dealt him for assets months before? And to buy low as well? Talk about a complete 360.

The Texas Rangers don’t have to trade for Joey Gallo by any means, as they can simply wait out the clock until he hits free agency after next season, so the chances of this scenario occurring are slim to none.

Next. Exploring a Reds-Rangers Sonny Gray trade. dark

It’s at least fun to think about, though.