Here's a look at the 4 prospects Gallo netted

July 29th, 2021

As the Trade Deadline approached, the Rangers had one of the most desirable players available in All-Star and Gold Glover Joey Gallo. They shipped him and Joely Rodriguez to the Yankees, and while they didn't receive a Top 100 Prospect in return, they did get four quality youngsters who have improved their stock this season, bolstering what already was one of the deepest farm systems in baseball.

Texas has been collecting offensive-oriented middle infielders and added three more in Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Trevor Hauver. It also grabbed right-hander Glenn Otto, who has two plus pitches and owns one of the best K/BB ratios in the upper levels of the Minors this season.

Here's a closer look at each of the four prospects and where they rank on MLB Pipeline's Rangers Top 30:

Josh Smith, SS (No. 7)

A second-round pick out of Louisiana State in 2019, Smith batted .324/.450/.477 in his pro debut at short-season Staten Island and immediately became the repeated subject of trade inquiries. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, makes the most of his solid raw power and has a chance to stick at shortstop but ultimately may wind up at second base. After missing the start of this season with a hand injury, the 23-year-old has hit .324/.448/.641 with nine homers in 39 games between Low-A and High-A. Complete scouting report »

Ezequiel Duran, 2B/SS (No. 8)
Issues with the registration process in the Dominican Republic pushed back Duran's signing two years before he finally turned pro for $10,000 in 2017. After posting the third-lowest OPS (.562) in the Rookie-level Appalachian League during his U.S. debut in 2018, he bounced back to lead the short-season New York-Penn League with 13 homers the next summer while showing off explosive bat speed and high exit velocities. The 22-year-old has batted .290/.374/.533 with 12 homers in 67 High-A games this summer and has used his solid speed to steal 12 bases. Complete scouting report »

Trevor Hauver, 2B (No. 19)
Hauver raked as an outfielder at Arizona State and went in the third round of the 2021 Draft, after which the Yankees moved him to second base. He's an advanced hitter who makes a lot of loud contact -- he homered in each of his first five games while making his pro debut in May -- but his infield defense is very much a work in progress. The 22-year-old has batted .288/.445/.498 with nine homers in 66 Low-A games. Complete scouting report »

Glenn Otto, RHP (No. 26)
Though Otto starred as a reliever and made just four starts in three seasons at Rice, the Yankees took him in the fifth round of the 2017 Draft with the plan of making him a starter. A blood clot in his pitching shoulder and a ribcage injury limited him to 91 2/3 Minor League innings before 2021, but he has broken out at age 25 with a 3.33 ERA, .216 opponent average and 115/17K/BB ratio in 75 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. His best pitches are a 12-6 spike curveball and a mid-90s fastball, and his changeup and control have improved this year. Complete scouting report »