Sources: Texas Rangers sending Joey Gallo to New York Yankees for prospect haul

The two-time All-Star was scratched from Wednesday's lineup only moments before first pitch.

Joey Gallo was scratched from the Rangers’ lineup Wednesday only minutes before first pitch (The Associated Press/Richard W. Rodriguez).

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers found a trading partner Wednesday night for their best player.

Joey Gallo will be wearing pinstripes soon.

Multiple sources confirmed that the Rangers were in the final stages of completing a deal that would send the two-time All-Star to the New York Yankees, who are desperately in need of a left-handed power bat while the Rangers are floundering in last place.

Rookie left-hander Joely Rodriguez reportedly Is part of the deal that when finalized would bring the Rangers four minor-league players.

The Rangers did not have official word of the trade during or immediately after their game Wednesday night as it was changed. The initial deal included rookie lefty John King and six prospects, but there may have been red flags on King’s medicals.

King is on the injured list with shoulder fatigue but threw a bullpen session Tuesday.

Manager Chris Woodward said there was an initial sense of shock when he posted a new lineup without Gallo no more than 20 minutes before the game.

They lost 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks despite seven good innings from Jordan Lyles, but Woodward said the team had “good energy.”

“There’ve been names thrown out on our roster for a while now, so I don’t think anyone was surprised by anything potentially happening,” Woodward said. “But I think when it does happen, it’s like, ‘Oh, wow. That happened.’

“As a player, you starting thinking it sucks. It’s somebody you share your locker with and are a teammate and a guy that we coach and we build relationships with. It always hurts no matter who it is, but especially a guy like that.”

The return from the Yankees is High A shortstop Josh Smith, the Yankees’ second-rounder in 2018; High A second baseman Ezequiel Duran; Low A second baseman/outfielder Trevor Hauver, the Yankees’ 2020 third-rounder; and Triple A right-hander Glenn Otto, a fifth-rounder in 2017 who went to Rice and is from Spring.

They are the Yankees’ No. 14, No. 15, No. 23 and No. 28 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Baseball America ranks Duran as the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect, Smith at No. 8, Otto at No. 20 and Hauver at No. 22.