Yankees: This Joey Gallo trade package probably gets deal done with Rangers

The Joey Gallo trade rumors, which once seemed like a dream for New York Yankees fans, seem to now be developing a sort of reality.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post connected the Bombers to Gallo this week. So did esteemed MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN. Is this the blockbuster move general manager Brian Cashman is going to make?

If so, what trade package would satiate the Texas Rangers? Once again, this scenario involves the Yankees, so it’s going to be difficult.

It certainly doesn’t help that Gallo has been tearing the cover off the ball over the last few weeks to inconveniently increase his OPS from .764 on June 19 to … a blistering .923 on July 10. Just in time for the bidding. Classic.

That spike in production may have had some fans jumping the gun on what a return package might look like. Gallo is a good player, but we all know how Cashman is when he’s making a trade. He’s not going to overpay. He will examine the player’s entire body of work and not just the last month which has likely contributed to the spike in price.

So, no, Cashman will not be trading SIX players for Gallo, whose career slash line is .213/.339/.502.

What a realistic Yankees-Rangers package for Joey Gallo might look like.

We’ll admit, this isn’t a bad attempt at building a package of prospects. However, Oswald Peraza will probably only be traded for a premier pitcher … especially if he’s going to be included alongside No. 2 prospect Clarke Schmidt and the versatile Hoy Jun Park. Three top-10 prospects plus a guy like Park who could make an impact at the MLB level right now feels like a vast overpay.

So what are we thinking? Something similar, but a little bit more tame. Let’s dive in.

Yankees Get: Joey Gallo

Rangers Get: No. 2 prospect Clarke Schmidt, No. 14 prospect Josh Smith and No. 17 prospect Everson Pereira

The Yankees simply aren’t surrendering two top pitching prospects and their best shortstop prospect for Gallo. OK, never say never, but we’d be shocked if they did. This deal still gives the Rangers promising talent while checking a number of boxes.

Schmidt isn’t the sexiest option, but he’s probably the Yankees’ best young pitcher right now despite the fact he’s working his way back from injury. He has the most promising big-league stuff and should be able to contribute right away. And he’s yet to pitch in Triple-A!

As for Smith and Pereira, these are “lesser” options when you look at the rankings, but they’re among the most productive in 2021. Here are the numbers:

• SS Josh Smith is slashing .341/.461/.674 with 42 runs scored, 9 home runs, 24 RBI and 15 stolen bases across Single-A and High-A (37 games)
• OF Everson Pereira is slashing .419/.526/.839 with 9 runs scored, 3 home runs, 12 RBI and 2 stolen bases across the rookie league and Single-A (9 games)

That’s the kind of production and fast-rising potential rival executives like to see. And the positives for the Yankees? They have shortstop, pitching and outfield depth in the minors. They can afford to make a deal like this and not be haunted by it in years to come. Peraza and Anthony Volpe are among the most promising shortstops in their farm system. Luis Medina, Luis Gil, Ken Waldichuk and Glenn Otto and ripping through the ranks as pitchers. Jasson Dominguez leads the way in the outfield.

We’d agree the Yankees will have to cough up some attractive talent in any deal for Gallo, but they won’t have to give up six players, nor will they have to surrender two top-10 prospects with the way the rest of their farm has performed this year.

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