Dodgers: 3 waiver trades we wish LAD were able to make in August

2. Giovanny Gallegos

Not long ago, “Giovanny Gallegos for Luke Voit” was seen as one of the great trade heists in recent Yankees history.

Then, as always, the hipster take emerged: actually, Gallegos was pretty good? Not a steal, actually.

Now, one year further removed from the swap, a lot of the narratives have gotten murkier. Voit lost his starting job to Anthony Rizzo after three successive injuries, and Gallegos has had his struggles, too, in the middle of a Cardinals ‘pen that has been lost in the shuffle as the entire roster underwhelmed.

In recent weeks, Gallegos has pitched to a 5.52 ERA (past 15 games), making this seem like a strange time to be discussing the Cardinals unloading him. However, it’s possible there’s been no team stuck in the mud more firmly than these Cards, who have a few anchor contracts (Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt), plenty of star power, and somehow aren’t close to competing. A full implosion might not be in the cards (pun intended), but a hybrid sell-off is probably wise, and aging bullpen pieces (Gallegos is 29) should be the first to go. ‘Pen pieces are pretty damn fungible these days, and it’s not like Gallegos has an overpowering fastball as a calling card. He’s a pitchability guy.

Excluding these past few weeks, Gallegos’ numbers have been special yet again this season, highlighted by a 0.80 WHIP and 64 Ks in 57.1 innings pitched. Thanks to a late start to his MLB career, he’s under control through 2024. It might cost a top-10 prospect, but with the Cardinals’ current plight, he might be swipe-able.