The Major League Baseball trade deadline isn’t until 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday afternoon. After that, only players that have cleared waivers can be traded.
But on the eve of the deadline, there are a number of big moves taking place and reshaping pennant races.
Joey Gallo to the Yankees
Falling out of the race in the American League East and currently out of the wild card by a couple of games, the Yankees are making a big swing for the postseason with the acquisition of left-handed slugger Joey Gallo. The Yankees are already loaded with right-handed power, and Gallo now gives them someone who can take advantage of the short fences in the right field.
Right field is also where Joey Gallo will likely play, as he’s turned into one of the better right-fielders in the game. He has nine outfield assists and will help the Yankees with improved outfield range. Gallo also leads the league in walks, making up for a low batting average.
Making the deal even more palatable is that the All-Star and Home Run Derby participant won’t be a free agent until after the 2022 season, so the Yankees get him for at least another full season.
Coming to New York with Gallo is left-handed relief pitcher Joely Rodriguez. Going to Texas are minor leaguers Ezequiel Duran (2B), Josh Smith (SS), Trevor Hauver (IF/OF), and Glenn Otto (RHP).
Otto is the most MLB-ready of the bunch and has 115 strikeouts in 75 innings at Double-A and Triple-A this season. The other three players are all at Class A or Class A-Advanced, and all are having good seasons at the plate.
Currently, Gallo stands at +12500 according to the sportsbook’s MLB odds to win the American League MVP. It remains to be seen what his tenure with the Yankees will do to this number.
Starling Marte to the A’s
The A’s are currently the holders of that second wild-card spot, just ahead of the Yankees, and they are hoping Wednesday’s trade for Marlins outfield Starling Marte will help keep it that way.
Starling Marte is a free agent after this season, so he’s likely to be out of Oakland once October is over. But the Marlins are covering the entirety of the remaining $4 million still owed to Marte in 2021, which makes the idea of a rental far more attractive to a small market club like the A’s.
Marte’s slash line in 2021 is .307/.407/.453, and he will immediately impact the bases. He can play all three outfield positions but will be in a corner spot in the A’s lineup. The Marlins get former top pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo, who has had a very tough 2021 but still remains a potential Major League talent.
Yimi Garcia to the Astros
Another Marlin on the move is closer, Yimi Garcia. The hard-throwing right-hander, who boasts a 96-mph fastball, is now a member of the Houston Astros, a day after Houston added two other bullpen arms – Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero from the Mariners.
Garcia has 15 saves and a 3.47 ERA this season but will serve as one of the set-up men for current Astros closer Ryan Pressly.
In return for Garcia, the Marlins received right-hander Austin Pruitt and Triple-A outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. Pruitt is out of minor league option years, so he becomes an instant member of the Marlins roster. De La Cruz is also likely to see time in the Majors this season.
Eduardo Escobar to the Brewers
Another All-Star is seeing himself go from a last-place team to a playoff contender with the trade of Eduardo Escobar to the Brewers. The infielder who is likely to play third base in Milwaukee has 22 home runs this season and was named to his first-ever All-Star team.
Escobar was originally traded to Arizona in 2018, signed an extension with the Diamondbacks through this season, then went out and hit 35 home runs in 2019. He struggled last season but returned to form in 2021, and the Brewers hope he’s enough to keep them in first place the last two months of the season.
The Diamondbacks are getting minor-league outfielder Cooper Hummel and minor league infielder Alberto Ciprian in return for Escobar. Hummel is an older minor leaguer at 26-years-old, but he’s made it to Triple-A and has shown great plate discipline. Ciprian is only 18 and was just recently signed out of the Dominican Republic.
