Could Yankees reignite Joey Gallo trade talks with Padres at 2022 deadline?

Seemingly since the New York Yankees acquired Joey Gallo at the 2021 trade deadline, they’ve been at least dipping their toes back into the pool regarding sending him elsewhere.

They’ll never admit as much publicly, but adding Gallo was a massive swing meant to provide another .200-ish hitting power provider to a lineup full of .260-ish hitting power providers, as well as some left-handed balance. Even peak Gallo won’t satisfy some fans, but peak Gallo still hasn’t materialized almost a full year later, capping the “big swing” with an unsatisfying miss.

At his best, the experience is somewhat difficult to swallow. At his worst, he’s a strikeout with RISP that must be scheduled out and planned around. Mostly in New York, for whatever reason, Gallo’s been below expectations. So … is the team playing like a juggernaut a reason to keep him around? Or a reason to really go full-throttle at the 2022 trade deadline in an attempt to perfect the form before the playoffs?

One particular team didn’t let the Gallo dream go in 2020, 2021, or the winter of 2022: the San Diego Padres. Could the Yankees possibly convince them to reengage now that both teams are contending?

Back in the summer of 2020, desperate for an infusion of talent (before their 2021 winter splurge), the Padres were among the first teams to line up and join the Gallo rumors.

In fact, during the next summer, it seemed to be accepted knowledge that AJ Preller and the Pads would eventually outbid the Yankees’ valiant effort and take home the “prize.” So … what happened? And could they be interested at a currently discounted rate?

Yankees could (should?) trade Joey Gallo to Padres at deadline

Any Yankees complaining in 2022 feels out of pocket, but at the same time, imagining the Yanks’ current lineup with Ian Happ in the Gallo spot causes legitimate salivating.

The argument in Gallo’s favor amounts to … “Well, why not both?” Injuries are bound to happen, and losing anyone long-term could leave the outfield thin if the ex-Ranger is also dealt. Disrupting chemistry could also be a concern.

However, no argument in Gallo’s favor has much at all to do with his play. Outside of an early June stretch with four homers, 11 RBI and (shudders) a triple-slash of .192/.309/.489 that I guess is the best-case scenario, there isn’t much joy to be found in his profile. Just as importantly, Gallo performs far better on the road (.198/.296/.419 in 2022) than at home (a brutal .167/.286/.310 in what should be paradise for a left-handed slugger).

Putting up a line like that at the New Yankee Stadium should be evidence enough that this isn’t working out. Home’s been a house of horrors for Gallo; heckling follows him into right field between at-bats. Is this fair? No; you can make a simple argument that fans should realize they’re affecting their team’s chances of winning. But does the blame mostly fall on Gallo here? Absolutely.

You know who’s more understanding? Fans in San Diego, a place Gallo nearly arrived this winter even before Luke Voit changed coasts.

Trading an All-Star midseason isn’t typically what a team on a record-setting win pace does, but Gallo’s approaching free agency as a very unique case.

This would be a tougher argument to make if there weren’t seemingly a clear suitor just waiting for the call.

We asked in the offseason. We’re asking again. It’s worth considering.

Yankees: 3 Joey Gallo trades team could pursue in offseason

The New York Yankees acquired Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers literally two months ago. Could they already be looking to trade him?