A week after the drama of the trade deadline, Rangers slugger Joey Gallo spoke to the local media for the first time. The 26-year-old’s name was heavily featured in the rumor mill in the 24 hours leading up to the deadline back on August 31st. It was definitely a new experience for Gallo.

“I wasn’t paying attention to it too much,” told reporters on Tuesday when he discussed the speculation of his potential trade from the franchise that drafted him. “Then the last day (Sunday), I started getting a ton of text messages saying like, “Dude you’re getting traded. What’s going on?” I don’t really have a ton of social media during the season so I didn’t even realize I was in the trade talks.”

The new face of the Rangers franchise said that he knew he’d been discussed in plenty of trades when he was a younger prospect, but this time certainly felt “a lot more real.”

“It was tough to sleep because I really didn’t know if I was going to wake up and be in another city. I went to sleep thinking this might be the last time I play for the Texas Rangers, and it was tough for me… I love this organization and I want to win here. I want to win as a Texas Ranger.”

Simply put: There hasn’t been a lot of winning in 2020 for Gallo and the Rangers. As of Wednesday night, they were 14-27 and have the fewest wins in the American League. Despite this, the competitive Gallo made it clear to the media that he has communicated with Jon Daniels he wants to remain in Texas beyond his team control that is slated to end after the 2022 season.

“There hasn’t been anything concrete or on the table,” Gallo said of a potential long-term contract extension. “I let him know that I would like to be here long-term. I love being a Texas Ranger. I always see myself playing here for a long, long time. I’m obviously open to extending a future here but I have to get an offer first.”

It’s certainly deflating to know the Rangers haven’t even really seriously broached the idea of an extension with a talent like Gallo. Despite his rough season so far in 2020, he was an All-Star and a fringe MVP candidate when he was healthy in 2019. Based on what Gallo said, it seems like he is the one who is currently more interested in extending the relationship than the Rangers.

With an ownership group that is going to act like they can’t spend an additional dime after the pandemic affected ticket revenue in 2020, it’s unlikely that an extension would come this winter between Joey and Texas. For a franchise that really has so little star-potential talent on its major league roster, it’s pretty disgusting that Texas will likely let Gallo get within a year of free agency before finally seriously talking to him about his long-term future in Arlington.

Whatever the future holds for the 2012 first round draft pick, it surely will be filled with plenty of sky-high blasts to right field all around the country. Hopefully most of them will be at Globe Life Field.

JOEY GALLO TO PLUTO WHICH IT SHOULD BE NOTED IS A FAKE PLANET https://t.co/7EoPxQdjMF

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 6, 2020