Boston Red Sox Rumors: 3 Rangers players to target at Trade Deadline
Boston Red Sox Trade Target No. 2: Joey Gallo
Joey Gallo is an old school power hitter. His batting average doesn’t sit too high above .200, but the balls he puts into play usually don’t stay in the park. He’s basically a better version of what the Sox expected Hunter Renfroe to be, except Renfroe is hitting for average this season.
After struggling to get any action his first two seasons, Gallo was handed a starting role in 2017 and promptly smacked 41 home runs as a result, before following that up with another 40 homer season in 2018. Gallo missed much of 2019 with injuries before struggling for most of 2020. But Gallo is back to his old ways this season, as he’s already at 24 home runs on the season, which helped earn him a spot in the Home Run Derby.
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Gallo’s .237 batting average paints the picture of a hitter who is basically home run or bust at the plate. Yet that isn’t the case this season. Gallo’s plate disciple has taken massive strides this season, which sees him leading the majors with 72 walks at this point. So despite a lower average, Gallo has been an on-base machine for most of the season.
And despite not being the most conventional outfielder, Gallo is one of the best in the game. He didn’t commit a single error in the field last season, and earned his first golden glove as a result. Similar to Renfroe, he has a cannon for an arm, but doesn’t get to test it as much due to baserunners being scared to run on him.
Adding Gallo to the Sox outfield would turn an already solid unit into arguably one of the best in the league. Sure, they just promoted Duran, but that doesn’t mean they should be counting on him for consistent production. Gallo is a proven slugger who can launch one out of the park at any given time; Duran isn’t.
Gallo is still just 27, meaning Boston could be making a longer term commitment here than to other trade targets. He’s set for arbitration after this season, so the Sox would have an inside track to retain him for future seasons if they did end up acquiring him.
There are probably cheaper rental options on the market, but Gallo’s upside makes him an appealing target for this season and future seasons. He will cost more, but he would be the type of option that is worth forking over more valuable prospects. The Sox seem set to make a splash at the deadline, and Gallo may very well be their target.