Checking in on the 3 former Texas Rangers traded at the deadline
No folks, the above picture is not a photoshop rendering, it’s actually former Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo in a Yankees uniform. Still hard to believe, right?
It’s weird to see former 2021 Texas Rangers in different uniforms considering they were once key contributors to the team, but for their sake, as veterans with pedigree, we’re glad they’re getting an opportunity to win elsewhere. What we know for sure is that the Rangers couldn’t provide that for them anytime soon. Instead, Texas on pace for around 100 losses this season.
These trades did bring some legitimate pieces to boost an improving and already deep farm system, which is an essential feature of this rebuild. A lot of the future success hinges on the this process going according to plan.
With said plan in mind, let’s see how three former 2021 Rangers are doing with their new teams post-deadline.
OF Joey Gallo
The former Texas Rangers’ star started his Yankees career slow but has picked it up a bit
The blockbuster Joey Gallo trade that sent him and reliever Joely Rodriguez to the Yankees for four prospects (Josh Smith, Trevor Hauver, Ezequiel Duran and Glenn Otto) was the Rangers’ most significant transaction of the deadline period.
And so far, with most of the prospects performing well for Texas in the minors, the trade looks good on their end for now.
But how has Gallo looked in pinstripes? Not great overall, with a .628 OPS and just one home run (a big one though) in nine games played. Since the All-Star break, Joey has been struggling, and not even the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium has cured what ails him yet.
He’s certainly not Anthony Rizzo, who’s been raking for New York since they acquired him from the Chicago Cubs.
We wish Joey Gallo nothing but success with the Yankees, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the Texas Rangers to be the victors in this trade.
RHPs Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy
These two former Texas Rangers right-handers have had two different sets of results since arriving in Philadelphia
The other major trade the Texas Rangers made at the deadline involved sending RHPs Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy as well as prospect Hans Crouse in a package to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for RHP Spencer Howard and prospects Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner.
Howard, who looked promising but ultimately struggled in his Rangers debut Thursday, is the key piece of that deal for Texas, who hopes to unlock his former top prospect potential for the future.
But for the Phillies, the trade on their end has been up and down.
We’ll start with Kyle Gibson, who has been fantastic for the Phils in two starts so far, with a 2.13 ERA, including a huge win in a start Friday night in Philadelphia with first place on the line against the New York Mets.
That’s what these players live for.
Ian Kennedy, meanwhile, has struggled in Philadelphia so far, with a 10.38 ERA, though he does have two saves in two total opportunities. He hasn’t been quite as lockdown as he was for the Texas Rangers, but that ERA is sure to come down with time.
The verdict of who won this trade really comes down to how well Spencer Howard performs for the Rangers, as well as the other two prospects. And vice versa, how Hans Crouse ends up working out for the Phillies.