Joey Gallo trade continues to haunt Yankees even with K-king gone

The New York Yankees are a few years removed from a crucial trade where they landed a powerful bat to bolster their lineup at the trade deadline. The bat in question was none other than slugger Joey Gallo. At the time, Gallo had plenty of power, even though he struggled to hit for average, and so, it seemed like a good move on paper.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out. The Yankees traded four players away in that deal and one of them was current Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith. Gallo never panned out for the Yankees and posted a 0.5 WAR during his time in the Bronx. Meanwhile, Smith owns a 3.1 WAR this season alone.

Joey Gallo trade still haunts Yankees

The Yankees are still one of the top teams in the American League. However, they haven't had much production out of third base. DJ LeMahieu has struggled since his return, and Oswaldo Cabrera hasn't quite panned out. Having Smith would make a huge difference for the Yankees.

While the defending World Series champions might end up being sellers at the trade deadline, you can bet your bottom dollar that they won't be trading Smith anytime soon. He's a key building block for the future and he played a big role in the Rangers reaching the World Series last October and winning their first title.

Heading into Wednesday's action, Smith had a .296 batting average, eight home runs, and 36 RBI to go along with an .841 OPS. A little production out of third base could go a long way for a team like the Yankees that needs to catch the Orioles in the AL East. They currently sit three games back of Baltimore.

But it's clear that the trade for Gallo did not work out for the Bronx Bombers and that the Rangers ultimately were the big winners of this deal. The best thing the Yankees can do now is hope to acquire a bat or two at the deadline to make up for the lack of production at third base.