After one and a half poor seasons with the Yankees (.159/.291/.368 in 421 at-bats) and the Dodgers (.162/.277/.393 in 117 at-bats), former All-Star Joey Gallo enters free agency looking to reset his career and rediscover his bat. It was only a few years ago that Gallo was one of the most feared hitters in the entire league, mashing .253/.389/.589 with 22 homers in 2019 and hitting a strong .223/.379/.490 with 25 homers in 2021 before being traded to the Yankees. However, instead of earning a lucrative long-term contract this offseason, Gallo will likely be forced to sign a one- or two-year deal as he looks to re-establish himself as a premier outfielder.
Following a weak 2022 season (.160/.280/.357 in 350 at-bats), Gallo will probably be passed over by the more-competitive clubs. However, there are several less-competitive teams that may take a flier on the former All-Star in the hopes that he rekindles his offensive production.
With no guaranteed contracts and amidst a rebuild, the Athletics may view Gallo as a potential mid-season trade chip that will net them some prospects. As mentioned in MLBTR’s Athletics’ Offseason Outlook, at the surface, Oakland only has catcher Sean Murphy and centerfielder Roman Laureano penciled in as starters, with the former being the subject of constant trade rumors this offseason. Cristian Pache also figures to see some time in the outfield, as he is out of minor league options in 2023, and Seth Brown can play first base or a corner outfield position.
But, as best put by MLBTR’s Steve Adams, “Oakland is going to need someone to fill out the lineup.” Laureano (.211/.287/.376) and Pache (.166/.218/.241) were regulars in 2022, but neither provided above-average production. Gallo represents a free agent signing that, if he regains his form in a less stressful environment, may net the As a solid return in a likely non-competitive season.
The Reds are another rebuilding team that may take a flier on the former All-Star. Cincinnati had a revolving-door outfield in 2022, with seven different outfielders coming to the plate at least 200 times. Two of those players, Tommy Pham and Tyler Naquin, were traded away and another two, Aristides Aquino and Albert Almora, have already been designated for assignment (DFA).
That leaves three outfielders who had at least 200 at-bats during the 2022 season on the Reds’ 40-Man roster at this point in the offseason. Nick Senzel (.231/.296/.306) had a below-average season and was a potential DFA candidate ahead of the 40-Man roster deadline. Senzel has had a challenging time remaining on the field, being limited to only 110 games in 2022 and 35 games in 2022. The other two outfielders, TJ Friedl (.240/.314/.436) and Jake Fraley (.259/.344/.468) have limited MLB experience, with Friedl having under one year of service time and Fraley having just over two years.
Perhaps with these circumstances in mind, the Reds recently acquired Nick Solak from the Rangers. Solak, who can play left field and second base, had a strong 2019 season, .293/.393/.491 in 33 games (135 at-bats), but has struggled since then. Most recently during the 2022 season, the soon-to-be 28-year-old hit a measly .207/.309/.329 and was optioned on and off the major league club, only getting into 35 games with the Rangers.
With a lack of health and experience, Cincinnati may look to Gallo as a veteran option. However, both Friedl and Fraley are left-handed hitters and with Gallo also a lefty bat, the Reds may be cautious in trotting out a trio of lefty outfielders.
Turning to the NL East, the Marlins are another team that suffered from a poor outfield during the 2022 season, slashing a collective .216/.284/.365. Miami has already been rumored to be active in the trade market for centerfield help this offseason but may also test the free-agent market. Nevertheless, with Jorge Soler ($24MM through 2023) and Avisail Garcia ($41MM through 2025) manning the corner outfield positions, general manager Kim Ng will likely opt to forgo adding another boom-or-bust outfielder in Gallo.
Staying in the NL East, after finishing the 2022 season at the bottom of the division, trading their All-World talent in Juan Soto, and undergoing a sale, the Nationals are firmly in a rebuild. However, unlike Oakland, Washington is in a state of limbo without direction from ownership. Trades involving Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, and Josh Bell have netted the organization a plethora of young talent in Robert Hassell, Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams, and James Wood, among others, but the organization has stated an intention to upgrade the corner outfield spots.
Victor Robles was Washington’s primary centerfielder in 2022 but slashed a weak .224/.273/.311. Corner outfielder Lane Thomas (.241/.301/.404) had a solid second season with the Nats and will likely continue to have an everyday role with the team. That leaves one open corner outfield spot that can potentially be filled by Gallo. By signing Gallo to a short-term deal, Washington can bridge the gap until top prospects Hassell and Wood reach the majors. Additionally, from a midseason potential trade chip standpoint, the Nats can flip Gallo if the veteran regains his offensive spark, with Hassell (who earned a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg near the end of the 2022 season) projected to join the major league team sometime during the 2023 season.
Lastly, the team that had the worst wRC+ (83) and Gallo’s starting point, the Texas Rangers. Despite signing Corey Seager ($287.5MM through 2031) Marcus Semien ($150MM through 2028), and Jon Gray ($41MM through 2025) to long-term contracts in the 2021-2022 offseason, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season, finishing with a 68-94 record. Part of the blame can be attributed to a weak outfield that collectively slashed .226/.287/.353 in 2022.
As discussed in MLBTR’s Rangers’ Offseason Outlook, aside from Adolis Garcia (.250/.300/.456), the Rangers’ outfield utilized Leody Taveras (.261/.309/.366) and Bubba Thompson (.265/.302/.312), along with contributions from Eli White, Josh Smith, and Nick Solak, who has since been traded. Despite Gallo’s weak showing as of late, over parts of seven seasons with the Rangers he has a .211/.336/.497 line with 145 homers. Nevertheless, as touched upon in the Rangers’ Offseason Outlook, general manager Chris Young has already publicly stated that owner Ray Davis has given the green light to increase payroll, albeit with a focus on improving the pitching staff. For a team with considerable financial resources and a hunger to return to postseason competition, the Rangers will likely heavily pursue more prominent free agents, leaving Gallo as an afterthought.
Pivoting to a more general discussion, Gallo will almost surely find himself a spot on a major league roster for the 2023 season. The slugger, who pulls the ball 54.8% of the time, will likely benefit from the removal of the shift, leading to more interest from teams across the league. Nevertheless, Gallo’s recent history of offensive ruin may sour potential suitors and leave him in search of a “prove-it” deal as he looks to rescue his career.
No Brewers?
Yankees 2.0
Rise99 – In all seriousness, Gallo is the exact type of player Bloom would be all in on.
Can play three positions, is viewed as a power replacement for JD, will no doubt be inexpensive on a 1-year deal,, and the Sox have a need in OF and 1B.
@Fever Pitch Guy- Bloom should take a shot at Gallo. Why not? Great way to get back at the Yankees and NY. And he can grow a full grown beard in Boston, no shift, and as you just mentioned he can play all 3 outfield positions. Do it Red Sox!
Rise99 – I know you’re being facetious, but I’m telling you Bloom will be all over Gallo. You did actually make good points about the beard and shift. LOL
Remember, Bloom is the same guy that took on JBJ’s huge salary because Bloom thought JBJ would have a bounceback year. All Gallo would need to do is have a good start to the season, then Bloom would flip him midseason for prospects that never pan out.
FRANMIL REYES 3.0
Dave Kingman 2.0. Any team that signs him for more than a minimum wage contract is going to be disappointed.
Right. I figure he’ll either be the starting SS or 3B depending on where they deploy Urias after the almost done deal sending Adames to the Dodgers (or I just heard the Saskatchewan Expos are a dark horse trade partner).
If they do keep Adames, at least to start the year, they’ll use Gallo as a 7th/8th inning arm, and try to stretch him out a little to fill the ‘he can pitch in any situation from opener to mop up duty to bases loaded nobody out in a must win game’ role Suter filled the last few years…
But…isn’t that a picture of Bellinger?
Heard KBO’s SSG Landers have a recent outfield availability open up
Mexican league candidate …..he and Jake Taylor could be teammates?
Reds make sense. With the way balls fly out of GABP!
Before they fly out though, you have to make contact with the bat.
Should of taken the Ranger’s original extention offer. He bet on himself and lost. Move on and work at hitting the ball to all fields in the offseason instead of trying to pull the ball every pitch. A major league hitter should be able to make adjustments. Just look at guys like Kris Bryant, Justin Turner, and Austin Riley
He whines about the shift being unfair. It’s amazing a professional hitter can’t learn or attempt to hit the other way. But supposedly it’s better for the sport to pull the ball very pitch and hit .160.
The shift he’s referring to is the moving fastball he seems to strike out most often to
@DMiles5149, I know a lot of fans would disagree with you saying “batting average doesnt matter” but realistically, it does. If theres a guy on second or third base, you getting a walk does absolutly nothing to get those runners in. Its very frustrating watching a guy hit .160 every game, don’t really care if he walks or not
He said while with the Yankees, he wasn’t going to do all the things fans think or suggest he should be able to do. He believes he was paid to hit home runs and he wasn’t going to fool around with bunting towards 3rd base because there was no one there or hitting it the other way just to get on base. Pulled home run or bust – that is his motto or at least was his motto.
Isn’t hr or bust just about everyone’s motto anymore?
Yup. I preferred when players were paid to help the team win.
Trader Joe’s or Stop and Shop
More like Food 4 Less or Dollar General.
Food 4 Less is still around?
Yep, in Calizuela.
What is frequently forgotten (because Gallo was a gold glove RF) is how good he was defensively at 1B too. I’d be really interested if Texas would sign Gallo to play 1B, bumping Nathaniel Lowe to DH (who is a major defensive liability). An outfield of Adolis in RF, Taveras/Bubba/Duran in CF and sign Benintendi for LF would be awesome.
Well then the Pirates should sign him. Need more 1st basemen. Can never have enough, it appears
It’s forgotten because he cannot hit.
Pirates don’t require their 1B to hit. Just provide “experience.”
I hope the Giants don’t get him. I guess I’m old school, but anyone with that low of a batting average and on base percentage doesn’t deserve a job. It used to be a “serviceable” player would get a hit in 1 every 4 abs and get walks on top of that. Maybe he’s going to hit some solo homers on occasion, big whoop.
Early Retirement
I here ya! Dominic Smith too. Both these guys in desperate need of a reset. If someone does sign either one, probably late like after spring training and at the league salary minimum with incentives. Heck, in Smith’s case, maybe just a minor league deal.
I think he should sign in Japan for a year or two.. can you imagine how many home runs he’d hit over there? Guys with way less power hit 50. I think that league would best help him get back on track. The A’s would be the best option if he stays in the Majors. They’ll basically be a minor league team playing in the majors.
wow….the 2019 season for Gallo is a lifetime ago and looks as if it is the total outlier as compared to his typical stats regardless of what “analytics’ you use……if you think his return to form may net the A’s a solid return, we’ve got a bridge here in NY you may be interested in……competitive clubs would see him for exactly what he is….a sub .200 dead pull hitter with power, who is going to strike out at least 1 time in 4 at bats with most likely the other 3 being some type of fly ball……he doesn’t hit the ball on the ground so no shift in 2023 isn’t going to help him there either…….failed in LA, failed miserably in NY……really think top teams would look to him if their own guys got hurt down the stretch……
Korea.
Best Korea though.
He could hangout with Kim and Rodman instead of playing baseball.
Gallo shouldn’t even be a Plan F Option for Zaidi. Even though Gallo is good defensively he’s a “feast or famine hitter.”
Pirates can use him at first.
we already have a slew of hitters that strike out 100 times
Not a bad deal if you are the opposing team.
“ It was only a few years ago that Gallo was one of the most feared hitters in the entire league”
Lolololol
Literally trying to rewrite history. Nobody ever feared Gallo. All his HR’s in Texas were off cookie fastballs when the game was already out of reach for the Rangers. If it was a close game then pitchers would just bear down and strike him out. It’s why he struggled in NY and LA, bc every AB was important so pitchers focused on getting him out instead of moving the game along. I don’t think there was ever a time where anybody thought “oh crap Joey Gallo is coming up” unless you are taking fans of the team he was playing for into account.
Literally trying to rewrite history. Nobody ever feared Gallo.
=============================
I always get a chuckle out of these descriptions. His top OPS seasons
145
121
118
109
Under 95—
If you throw out the juiced ball 145, I’m not sure his career OPS+ is 100.
But he also had a 138 OPS+ with Texas in the first half of 2021 before the Rangers traded him to the Yankees, Joe.
Frankly, it’s harder for me to figure how he fared as well as he did in Texas than to figure how he failed in New York and LA.
In New York, he told YES Network interviewer Meredith Marakovitz that he had no intention of changing his swing-for-the-fences approach.
Refusal to adjust to what the pitchers are doing = prescription for failure. Add to that the decline even in his fielding, which I’d attribute to his inability to cope with the pressure of New York’s hyper-demanding fans and media spotlight, and his failure is readily understandable.
What baffles me is how he got away with that approach at the plate for so long in Texas. What kind of pitchers was he facing down there?
Yeah, and one of the most notable statements to me is: “Dodgers (.162/.277/.393 in 117 at-bats),”
Didn’t Aaron Hicks say that Gallo was performing much better in a Dodgers uniform?
I always look to the assessment James Smythe & crew did on Gallo’s highest % of swing-and-miss pitches – they were middle-middle FBs!
2019 was an outlier for so many hitters.
KBO
Rockies…
This, I want to see Gallo hit a ball 600 feet before he stops getting MLB contract offers.
But he can only play home games
Chris Davis. 30s, lefty power bat, sudden drop off. Woe to those who sign Gallo.
Local softball team, must be slow pitch.
Gallo would be terrific in Left Field defensively and if his bat ever came back to life it would be a cherry on top
Bottom line is, I think he would be perfect in the Orioles outfield patrolling LF
The outfield of the Orioles currently is okay, but …..
Mullins has a wet noodle for an arm
Hays is so bloody inconsistent
Santander is not too bad, I would keep him in RF and I would also sign JBJ for a defensive replacement and keep Stowers
Lord, no. Stowers, Vavra, and Cowser would be much better choices for that playing time since they might actually be part of the Orioles’ future.
I want a one year deal for everyone
Gallo
JBJ
Bellinger
Pass, pass, and pass.
Well, I am not happy with the Outfield as it is
So you want to make it exponentially worse with 3 guys who can’t even hit their own weight? When the offense is already in need of improvement?
How would it be worse and exponentially so?
Especially when I am keeping Santander and Stowers and all three are better defensively which is what I want!!!
SMH
You realize that your OF doesn’t just play defense, right? They also hit. Your hypothetical Gallo/JBJ/Bellinger OF might improve the defense, but it would also make the team significantly worse overall.
Glad we have Elias making the decisions.
Lefty is delusional, it doesn’t even improve the defense.
Who loves ya baby!!!
That is outrageous
Why you want JBJ blows my mind. Expect an OPS around .500, so bad that no matter how great he is in the field he will still be hot garbage. Bellinger is also another huge risk. I think he will hit a tad better than Jbj but he will still most likely suck, but the upside chance is way higher. The Os have 3 above average hitting outfielders, and you want to replace them with terrible players? If they change the outfield it should be for someone that is decent like haniger, Peralta, etc. It sounds like you don’t understand that they have to be able to hit too. They will lose 20 more games if they do your suggestion. I don’t know why you don’t get that. Why do you care so much about Mullins arm? That’s no reason to replace the guy who has the 3rd best upside on the team. @king floch is right.
Gallo is a career .199 hitter. .199! That’s 34 points below Chris Davis and O’s fans know how bad he was at the end. Why sign Gallo, Bellinger and Bradley Jr for one year when you already have at least 5 outfielders on the roster (or in the minors) who are better? Makes zero sense. Spend that money on starting pitching, which is what the Orioles need.
As a guy whose value was hitting the ball over the wall, I don’t think I’d want to go to Oakland and that cavernous ballpark. Colorado seems like a solid bet to provide ABs for him, whether it be LR/RF/DH.
It is not that cavernous just feels that way with 259 fans in it. The good weekends they can expect a raucous 1200 fans.
The fans don’t sit on the field. The field is huge, which is one reason why it’s a hitter’s paradise. The outfield is very hard to patrol, so hits fall in.
It will be interesting to see if his claims about the shift prove correct next season…provided an MLB team signs him.
I wish someone had just said “GIT GUD” to him when he started whining about the shift.
Shift doesn’t help strikeouts.
I also don’t see how it helps a guy who had the third-lowest GB/FB ratio and third-highest fly ball percentage of all players with at least 400 PA in 2022, when he also had the highest K%.
The new shift rule applies to infielders. Gallo also had the second-lowest rate of balls hit to center field and the ninth-lowest rate of balls hit to the opposite field. Unless he has an epiphany and suddenly agrees for the first time to alter his approach, I expect it’ll just be more of the same: strikeouts, fly outs and the occasional home run.
Exactly, and that’s also why (if memory serves me correctly) he had no (as in 0) sac fly RBIs in his entire career prior to coming over to the Yankees. And even then, he only had two out of….. many opportunities.
He strikes out, flies out, hits HRs, or walks, but most often strikes out. I recall at one point during his season with the Yankees some ridiculously high percentage of his hits were also HRs.
That’s the type of guy that a ban on the shift doesn’t help at all.
He is done, but someone will sign him to a minor league deal.
He’ll get an MLB deal for 2023, but it may very well be his last guaranteed contract unless he really was just being bullied too hard by the shift like he claimed.
@Mickey777- I wouldn’t say that. He can definitely get a major league contract in Beantown. I wish Gallo my absolute best far, far away from New York. Good luck Gallo!
In years past, the Orioles would have been all over Gallo. Thank God we actually have a decent farm system now. I’d much rather watch Kyle Stowers or Colton Cowser struggle a bit as they break into the league than watch Joey Gallo struggle try to stay in the league.
Perhaps Myles Straw for Santander
Gonna have to pass, although it would be kind of funny if Cleveland traded for Santander when they could have just protected him from the Rule 5 draft to begin with.
@King Floch- The Orioles should make a play for Gallo. He’d have a great year for them. Go for it O’s! Why not?
We already have like 5, maybe 6, better options, so I think I will pass.
King, I’m with you on that.
A career .199 hitter.
How about Colorado on a low contract offer with incentives? After they miss out on Bellinger.
I really can’t understand the love for this guy, can’t hit, strikes out a ton and most of his rbi come with the homers he hits.
HRs, walks, and stellar defense.
Unfortunately, he forgot how to do the first two.
Watching him play LF for NY, he forgot the 3rd also.
Are you reading these comments? There is no love for him.
Whoever’s in on Bellinger, is in on Gallo. They are the same player on a similar contract.
Bellinger has way more potential and personal accomplishments compared to Gallo
Victor Robles was Washington’s primary centerfielder in 2022 but slashed a weak .224/.273/.311.
=====================================
One more guy that the Nats refused to demote. He needs a full season in AAA until he gets his K/W under 2/1.
I cannot see any team signing him for more than one year. Maybe he will get it going I don’t know but at this point he probably needs to take what he can get and build on that.
The best fit for Joey Gallo is a team with ZERO expectations where the fans just enjoy going to the ballpark to get drunk and will not notice that he makes a lot of money, hits .150, and strikes out 2 out of every 3 ABs.
LOL
Colorado?
So the Brewers?
Yup. Brewers fans expect nothing..and still whine that the team let them down as soon as it loses its first game of…spring training.
He’d be a solid bench/part time player for Padres and AJP loves the Gallo kid!
MLBTR again links the WRONG CHRIS YOUNG.
Could be a Tampa Bay project
I did not know that Joey smoked.
Astros need a left handed bat and the shift is going away. With a strong lineup around him….
No lineup can afford a guy hitting .150 and striking out 200 times. Even if he plays for free.
I’m not Jerry Gallo, I’m Jerry Callo, with a C
@Thomar- are you really? Or are you Superman’s Father? You went to NSHS? Lmk
I hope he isn’t looking for full-time work. No team wants the embarrassment of having the guy who sets the single-season mark for K’s.
Korea, Japan, Mexico
Joey needs to go back to the pouch for awhile.
He lost his jump on the ball.
No, he has not!!!
SMH
Whoever signs him will get rooted.
Angels
From the post’ “It was only a few years ago that Gallo was one of the most feared hitters in the entire league, mashing .253/.389/.589 with 22 homers in 2019 and hitting a strong .223/.379/.490 with 25 homers in 2021 before being traded to the Yankees.”
Really, feared hitter with a.253 avg and 22 HR’s. Sounds pretty average to me. And what the heck is a strong .223 avg. How does that differ from a weak .223 avg? Is the author of this post for real?
Those numbers were thru the trade deadline, not a whole season. Very respectable. But I agree a hitter is not “strong” when batting .223. Chris Carter led the league with 41 HR in 2016, while hitting .222. He got non-tendered. Oh for the days when batting average meant something.
You literally ignored the strong part of his slash line.
Gallo, Conforto, Bellinger…..buy all three and see if it works out. For a team that can spend some dollars but in a rebuilding phase, maybe you can get some prospects.
Perfect for TB
I would think Colorado Rockies. especially with a thin air, his power would be exceptional. And his arm is very strong defensively. He may not be able to hit for average, but maybe Colorado might be a change that he could find it all work together.
I would not mind seeing the White Sox take a chance on Gallo by giving him an one year deal until Cespedes and Colas are ready!
This leaves out the Dodgers bringing him back on a minor league or competitive one year deal. We love us some bench depth with pop, and the guy likes to climb walls. He’s still a good option for us, and we love reclamation projects. He’d do well with a full spring training with the boys in blue.
There must be tee ball league somewhere…
I got a match for Gallo – my ass and his face! BWAHAHA
soooo… you want him to lick your ass?
hmmm… alrighty then
AAA? KBO? Sugar Land Skeeters?
Seems like a Rick Hahn Special. LHH, cheap, coming of tire fire year…goes along with their team building strategy of hope and prayer. Can point to distant success and insert hitting/pitching coaches name here will fix him. Stay tuned.
I can think of a beer softball league that he might be able to play in.
Better or worse than Ozuna?
Strong .223?
Since Texas added Semiens and Seager last year, and plans to spend money on Pitching this year, I could see him going back to Texas to help out their OF on a cheap (relatively) pillow contract. This time he would just supplement their offense, instead of having to be the offense.
Could you imagine Gallo playing half his games at Wrigley Field or Coors Field?
I’ve seen the talk about Boston here and honestly on a one year deal why not?
He’d be a great fit for a beer league.
I’m thinking the Athletics or Colorado or the Nats etc- basically a last place club with a sub .400-ish win percentage who doesn’t expect to seriously compete next year but could use an entertaining addition for the 2023 season with nothing but upside.
1 year/$6.5M
Going back to the Rangers would probably be good for Gallo. He made it clear, before the trade, that he didn’t want to leave Texas. It may not be a good move for the Rangers, but I think it would help Gallo mentally.
Looking for a match?
There’s a bunch of Triple A teams that could use him.