Thursday Newsletter time: Advice for Texas Rangers fans after the Joey Gallo trade

The two-time All-Star is on his way the New York Yankees after a deal was agreed to Wednesday night.

Jul 29, 2021

Joey Gallo didn’t want the Texas Rangers to trade him, but they agreed to do just that Wednesday night (The Associated Press/Duane Burleson).

Joey Gallo said late Tuesday, following his heartfelt goodbye to Texas Rangers fans in a televised postgame interview, that he still didn’t think he was going to be traded.

He couldn’t imagine himself in any other uniform than the one he had worn his entire career.

Around 21 hours later, though, he was all but gone.

The Rangers agreed to a deal that would send him to the New York Yankees on Wednesday just before the the National Anthem at Globe Life Field and first-round pick Jack Leiter threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Leiter’s pitch was a strike. The Gallo trade, which also reportedly includes left-hander Joely Rodriguez, might be wide of the zone.

The Rangers were expected to receive four prospects in the deal, but none of the Yankees’ best.

Maybe one of these players turns into a difference-maker, but this is no Mark Teixeira redux.

So what do you do if you’re a frustrated Rangers fan?

First, eat a bucket of fried chicken and down a six-pack to get you over your hangover.

Then, all of your attention should go directly to the minor leagues, more specifically to Double A Frisco. That’s where the top prospects are housed, the next wave management speaks of so frequently.

Just below them, and possibly en route to joining them, is High A Hickory second baseman Justin Foscue.

And then there’s Leiter. Not only is he really good, he’s probably the most impressive 21-year-old I’ve ever met.

Now, it’s fair to wonder how the Rangers went from considering an extension for Gallo to making a trade.

Did club officials find a deal they liked only to see it nixed by ownership? Did they run to the phone lines after a couple unproductive conversations with Gallo agent Scott Boras? Have the Rangers determined that their system isn’t as good or as deep as they thought?

It’s more likely a combination of the last two, which means the Rangers don’t see themselves contending next season and even 2023 could be stretching things.

So, yeah, start looking at Frisco. Start learning about Josh Jung and Cole Winn and Sam Huff and Hans Crouse. There are links to stories on Leiter and Foscue below.

The prospects were always going to be a big part of this newsletter.

There’s not much else to write about this season with Gallo gone.

Who’s next?

The Rangers are off day, though there should be an opportunity for the media to speak to president of baseball operations Jon Daniels and/or general manager Chris Young. They have some explaining to do.

They are incredibly unlikely to discuss where things stand with right-handers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, who have long been expected to be traded. To not do so now, after dealing Gallo, would be a total head-scratcher.

Club officials expect to make more moves, but as of late Wednesday nothing was imminent.

The market for Gibson might not develop until there is resolution with Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and Minnesota Twins ace Jose Berrios. The Rangers should do well in a Gibson trade, considering the one year he has left on his contract, but are unlikely to get much for Kennedy and his expiring contract.

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