Could the Yankees Move Aaron Hicks, Joey Gallo at Trade Deadline?
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Both Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo are finally beginning to turn things around at the plate.
Hicks is batting .308 across his last seven games, and .288 over the past two weeks. Overall, his on-base percentage is now .352 and his OPS has slowly risen to .628 on the season.
As for Gallo, he is 8 for his last 27 (.296) with three home runs and six RBIs in the past week and a half. Gallo, 28, has been a major disappointment since the Yankees acquired him ahead of last year’s trade deadline from the Texas Rangers. He will be a free agent after the season concludes and likely won’t be retained.
Beyond MVP candidate Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, who mainly serves as the designated hitter, the Yankees have received inconsistent production from the rest of their outfield in 2022.
While It’s a promising sign that Hicks and Gallo are starting to turn things around, the Yankees would likely jump at the chance to dump them at the deadline.
So, what kind of value might they have on the trading block and is it possible to strike a deal to ship them out of town?
According to SNY insider Andy Martino:
“These guys will be tough to move, especially Aaron Hicks. There might be a team that sees Joey Gallo as a change-of-scenery candidate. He is the classic player to move off a contending team, in that he has simply performed better elsewhere.” “Hicks is an odd case. He had long been a very good all-around player when healthy, and despite being in fantastic condition this year simply does not look the same on either side of the ball. He doesn’t hold much trade value at present. It’s fascinating that Aaron Boone now clearly sees Aaron Judge as a better defensive option in center field than Hicks. That’s a lot of Aarons, by the way.” “In the view of one longtime executive I asked this morning, the Yankees couldn’t expect to get much for this version of Gallo. Trading him would be more about acknowledging that it hasn’t worked here. Another reasonable approach would be to hold on to him, because the team is winning anyway, derive value from his defense in right field, and enjoy the times he gets on base or hits a ball a long way.”
The Yankees will likely be forced to hang onto both players, so they will hope to capture some form of consistency from the two outfielders.
Gallo could potentially be moved, given his expiring deal and track record as a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner prior to coming to the Bronx. As for Hicks, he is still owed close to $30 million guaranteed across the next three seasons after signing a seven-year, $70 million extension with the Yankees ahead of 2019. Unless New York is willing to eat a significant portion of his salary, the aging (32-years-old) and expensive Hicks is basically immovable. Neither outfielder has much value, but if either one gets traded, Gallo has the better odds.
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