Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo is perhaps the best hitter publicly available before the trade deadline.
He is capable of playing several positions, and while he is extremely prone to strikeouts, he more than makes it up with his light-tower power and extremely disciplined approach.
He knows how to discern balls from strikes, but has some contact issues.
In 2021, he is hitting .253/.330/.428 with 24 home runs and a 20.5 percent walk rate.
He would be a fantastic addition for contenders.
Here are three teams that could potentially acquire the Rangers slugger.
3. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees offense is waking up, at least judging by their last few games.
However, the unit remains inconsistent, and as long as Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar are earning significant playing time, there will be some bumps on the road.
That is precisely why the Yankees would be smart to consider a trade for the Rangers star.
Gallo can play all over the outfield (yes, even some center field), third base, and first base.
He is versatile, and much, much better than some of the guys in their lineup.
Injecting Gallo’s power and patience approach to the Yankees order would help a lot in the run-production department.
Gallo is capable of hitting 40 homers while getting on base at a healthy clip despite his low batting average output.
The Yankees can also use his versatility, and he would have an additional year of control after 2021.
He is almost the perfect target for the stretch run.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Yankees are interested in Texas Rangers left-handed hitting All Star outfielder Joey Gallo as the trade deadline approaches
How you guys feeling about that?
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 14, 2021
2. San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres have a very good baseball team in place, with a talented roster and lots of hope for the second half.
They have one of the best young players in the game in Fernando Tatis Jr.
However, their offense is not as good as you would think.
In fact, it’s basically an average unit, with a 101 wRC+.
The wRC+ stat means weighted Runs Created Plus, which allows us to consider ballparks and eras to determine how much better or worse than the average a player, or team, is.
For wRC+, 100 is considered average, so the Padres’ 101 wRC+ essentially makes them an average offensive club.
They are ranked 10th in wRC+, so it’s not all bad, but it could certainly be better.
Wil Myers (.253/.330/.428) hasn’t been performing as well as last year, and Trent Grisham, while very good and talented, is injury-prone and streaky.
Adding Gallo to that mix would allow the Padres to give more rest to Grisham and Tommy Pham while eventually spelling Myers.
They have the ammo to make a trade, but will they?
1. Chicago White Sox
You could argue that the Chicago White Sox don’t need Gallo with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert nearing a return, Yermin Mercedes working through things in Triple-A, and youngsters Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets trying to hit their way into the lineup.
However, they do have the luxury of the DH spot and could really take their offense to another level with that hypothetical addition.
Gallo and/or Story to the White Sox just makes too much sense….
If we whiff on both… I’ll be very upset
— Koyie's Cards (@Koyies_Cards_) July 13, 2021
Plus, you never know if the injured players will suffer a setback.
The fact remains that today, they have a need in the outfield, and while some of the aforementioned players are quality or passable options, Gallo is better.
Will the White Sox use some of their prospect capital and swing a deal?
NEXT: 3 Players Rangers Should Trade Before The Deadline