Is Joey Gallo gone? Source says 6 teams interested in trade for Texas Rangers All-Star
Is this the final week of Joey Gallo’s career with the Texas Rangers?
A league source says six clubs have inquired about a trade for the slugger.
Even more teams have engaged the Rangers on both starter Kyle Gibson and closer Ian Kennedy, the source said.
MLB’s trade deadline is at 3 p.m. Friday but major deals have already started shaking up the league.
The Rangers are off Monday and start a two-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday at Globe Life Field. They’ll then be off Thursday before hosting the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series starting Friday.
Gallo is a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder who has 24 home runs and 52 RBIs this season. He has been in a slump since the All-Star break, but his defense has remained stellar. He’ll be a free agent after next season if he’s unsigned.
Gallo, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, has expressed his desire to remain with the club that drafted him in the first round in 2012. But the Rangers haven’t appeared interested in making a financial commitment to him which could be in the $30 million a year range on the open market. At least not yet, and at least not publicly.
The Yankees, Blue Jays and Padres are among the teams that have expressed interest in Gallo.
With the Rangers mired in a 12-game losing streak — the second-longest in team history — and 30 games below .500, the front office must decide whether Gallo is worth more as a remaining cornerstone of the organization, or as trade bait. They need to assess how far off they are from contending and whether Gallo, who turns 28 in November, figures in those plans.
Gibson, 33, earned an All-Star nod this year but has struggled in his past three starts. Kennedy, 36, has 15 saves and a 2.59 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. The Dodgers are among the teams interested in Kennedy, who will be a free agent after the season. A slew of teams are interested in Gibson, who is under contract through 2022. He’s due $7 million next season, which could be a steal if he regains the form he showed during the first half of the season.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
