Joey Gallo’s emotional response to NYY trade is why Texas Rangers fans still love him

It was a tough pill to swallow watching the Texas Rangers trading Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. A deal felt inevitable, but no one could truly imagine anything coming to fruition.

Well, things did come together, and Gallo was sent to Bronx for a package of four prospects just before the July trade deadline. And apparently a day hasn’t gone by where Joey himself doesn’t think about the trade.

And that deal becomes especially front and center when you remember his old team is visiting the Bronx for a three game set.

"“It was emotional for sure,” Gallo said on the field at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “It still is. I was making sure I had all my stuff and I cried a lot.”“That was my home for 10 years, I think about it a lot,” Gallo said. “I’m still getting used to just living here, being with a new organization and whatnot. The Yankees have made the transition as easy as possible for me. I’m really appreciative of that. But like I said, I’ve spent my whole life in Texas since I was 18. It wasn’t an easy thing for me to do.”"

Joey Gallo still gets emotional thinking about the trade from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees

Well, if this doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings, I’m not sure what will.

After trading Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor last off-season to the A’s and Yankees respectively, Gallo was the last remaining homegrown “star” from the Texas Rangers playoff teams of the middle of the decade.

The fact that the 27-year-old still reflects on his time in Arlington shows no bridges have been burned, and that at least leaves open the possibility that Gallo could return to the Texas Rangers next off-season, when he becomes a free agent. The Yankees typically don’t just hand out extensions, after all.

Unfortunately, Gallo has struggled for the most part since arriving to New York, with a .166/.310/.444 triple slash in his first 46 games with the Yankees. But, it wouldn’t be a series against the Texas Rangers without going deep against the team he once called home.

An absolute moonshot from Gallo. You think the emotion’s there?

We’ll always be appreciative of Joey’s contributions while he was a member of the Texas Rangers, and I guess that means we can give him a pass for going deep off his old team.

It used to be us enjoying those Joey Jacks not that long ago, after all.