Report: Yankees Have Talked With These Teams About Joey Gallo Trade

Will Joey Gallo be on the move in the next few days before the trade deadline on Tuesday?

With the trade deadline fast approaching, Joey Gallo's days in a Yankees uniform appear to be numbered.

Not only did New York go out and acquire a superior option and better fit to play in the outfield in his place, trading three pitchers for Andrew Benintendi earlier this week, but Gallo seems to understand that he'll be on the move. 

Gallo told Lindsey Adler of The Athletic that he "didn’t play well as a Yankee," acknowledging that he "didn’t live up to expectations." The key there is that Gallo was speaking in the past tense as if his time with the Yankees was already over. 

It's impossible to ignore his grotesque numbers, but there are a few encouraging signs. The outfielder has a track record as a Gold Glove defender and he has an elite ability to hit the baseball hard (when he does make contact), laying off pitches out of the zone, working walks at a high rate.

Still, Gallo is hitting just .159/.291/.368 over his 140 games with the Yankees, dating back to last summer's deadline when he was acquired from the Rangers. This year, he's batting .159 (37-for-233) with a career-low .621 OPS. He has a 38.8% strikeout rate in 2022, the worst in baseball among players with more than 250 plate appearances.

READ: Which Teams Could Trade For Joey Gallo?

What uniform will Gallo be wearing on Wednesday after this year's deadline passes? Here's an update with the latest from a few different MLB insiders as three teams (possibly four) emerge as landing spots for the struggling outfielder:

Milwaukee Brewers

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees and Brewers have discussed a Gallo trade.

Hunter Renfroe is swinging a hot bat for Milwaukee and Christian Yelich is a former MVP, but the Brewers could certainly benefit from another slugging outfielder as they look to hang on to their slim lead in the National League Central.

If Gallo does improve in a change of scenery, he could provide a jolt to the middle of Milwaukee's order, allowing Andrew McCutchen to stay at designated hitter while possibly leapfrogging Tyrone Taylor in playing time.

San Diego Padres

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Padres have been interested in Gallo for quite some time (from last year's deadline to this spring). He pales in comparison to Juan Soto (another outfielder linked to San Diego leading up to the deadline), but he could be a good fit at Petco Park.

San Diego's outfielders have struggled all season, especially in the power department. It's also been reported that Gallo is "hoping to wind up" with the Padres, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media.

Tampa Bay Rays

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Nightengale also mentioned the Rays in his latest report.

Tampa Bay acquired left-handed hitter David Peralta from the Diamondbacks on Saturday, so it's possible they're out on the Gallo sweepstakes.

It's worth noting that Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported on Sunday that after speaking to some sources in Tampa Bay, she learned the Yankees wanted "too much back" for Gallo.

With Kevin Kiermaier out for the rest of the season and others like Wander Franco, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez on the injured list, the Rays could use a boost. Gallo can't be worse than Brett Phillips offensively as well (Phillips is hitting .147/.225/.250 this year).

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The Atlanta Braves might be an option for Gallo, too. YES Network's Jack Curry, who broke the Benintendi trade, tweeted that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Atlanta takes a chance on Gallo. 

Braves outfielder Adam Duvall is out for the rest of the season and they have a history of acquiring bats before the deadline. Last year, before going on a run and winning the World Series, the Braves traded for Duvall, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson and Eddie Rosario.

MORE:

• These Former Prospects Are Stepping Up in Yankees' Bullpen at Perfect Time 
• Yankees Should Pivot to These Starting Pitchers After Missing on Luis Castillo
• Report: Yankees Scouting Multiple Starting Pitchers From Athletics Ahead of Trade Deadline

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