The San Diego Padres had a mildly eventful 2021 trade deadline, as they struck three deals to acquire talent for the stretch run. With the Friars on the brink of title contention, though, fans and were dismayed that the team didn't acquire any big-name talent on the market while division rivals like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants did. However, according to a tweet from Jon Heyman, the Padres were actually close to trading for OF Joey Gallo, who instead was traded to the New York Yankees.
Padres talked to the Rangers about a Hosmer-Gallo trade and the Cubs about a Hosmer-Rizzo trade but ended up doing neither. There was more to those deals of course. In the Texas scenario they would have had to include big-time CF prospect Robert Hassell, which they didn’t love.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 5, 2021
Gallo, the poster boy for the Major League Baseball's three-true-outcome revolution, has made two All-Star games and won a Gold Glove award over the last 3 seasons. He would've provided an immediate boost to the Padres lineup as a lefty power bat to complement the right-handed Wil Myers and Tommy Pham in the corner outfield spots.
Robert Hassell, the player who was off the table for San Diego, is the Padres' No. 4 prospect at the moment, according to MLB.com. He's hitting .315 at High-A ball this year, with a .409 on-base percentage and 26 steals. His versatility on offense and dynamic defense in center field makes it apparent as to why the Padres felt they match the high asking price that the Rangers demanded for Gallo.
The deal also would've involved the struggling Eric Hosmer, whose spot in the infield was already in jeopardy with the acquisition of 2B Adam Frazier. The Friars would've had a stacked infield consisting of Frazier, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jake Cronenworth.
It appears the Padres made the right decision on this one, as their decision not to trade for Gallo coincided with the possibility of Fernando Tatis Jr. missing the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury. Without Tatis, the leading candidate for NL MVP, a trade for Gallo most likely would have been wasted this year.
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