Getty There were high expectations for Joey Gallo with the Yankees, but he ultimately fell short. He wishes he could erase it from his memory.
The New York Yankees acquired left-handed slugger Joey Gallo at the 2021 trade deadline. When it happened, it was easy to imagine him, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton wreaking havoc for the Bombers. Gallo’s time in the Bronx ended up being a disappointment, though, and it’s something he’d rather not remember.
Gallo was recently asked about a moment he’d like to forget from his career. The 30-year-old had a brutally honest answer, which was shared by Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks X account (formerly Twitter) on March 22.
“My whole Yankees career probably would be nice to — if that never happened, that would’ve been great,” he said. Gallo also added, “Yeah, that one didn’t count, so we’ll just, we can skip over that.”
Same, Joey. Same
(via @_mlbfits)
Gallo spent parts of two seasons in the Bronx. His results across 140 games and 501 plate appearances weren’t good. The slugger slashed .159/.291/.368 with 25 home runs, 46 RBI and 65 runs scored. He also added 194 strikeouts during this time.
The Yankees finally pulled the plug on this experiment ahead of the 2022 trade deadline and sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gallo Is Still Trying to Revive His Career
It’s been nearly two years since Gallo last donned Yankee pinstripes, but he still hasn’t recovered. The slugger finished 2022 with the Dodgers, appearing in 44 games and racking up 137 plate appearances. Gallo ended up posting a .162/.277/.393 triple slash with seven home runs and 23 RBI.
He spent the 2023 season with the Minnesota Twins and produced similar results. Through 332 trips to the plate (111 games played), Gallo hit .177/.301/.440 with 21 homers and 40 RBI. What’s continued to be alarming is a rise in his strikeout rate. After posting a 34.6% strikeout rate in 2021 between New York and the Texas Rangers, it rose to 39.8% in 2022 and 42.8% in 2023, per FanGraphs.
Gallo signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Washington Nationals ahead of the 2024 season. He’s penciled in as the club’s starting first baseman, but his performance in spring training hasn’t been the most encouraging. Gallo has struggled to a .118/.211/.147 line with a 36.8% strikeout rate in 38 plate appearances.
His Yankees Legacy Still Hangs in the Balance
Gallo’s actual time on the field with the Yankees wasn’t good. However, there’s still a chance for his legacy with the organization to be somewhat positive after all. When New York sent him to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, they received right-handed pitching prospect Clayton Beeter in return.
Entering 2024, MLB.com has ranked Beeter as the Yankees’ 14th-best prospect. He’s also been viewed as one of New York’s internal options to replace Gerrit Cole while he’s on the injured list. The 25-year-old hasn’t made his MLB debut yet, but he’s on the doorstep of the big leagues.
He split 2023 between Double-A and Triple-A. In Double-A Somerset, Beeter went 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 60.2 innings before a midseason promotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He had some issues over his final 71 frames, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.94 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 89 strikeouts.
Beeter has impressed in 13 Grapefruit League innings this spring. The young righty has twirled a 3.46 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 13 strikeouts. If he doesn’t start 2024 in the big leagues, he’ll be there at some point soon. Whenever it happens, the last bit of Gallo’s Yankee legacy will hang in the balance.