During the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers made an upside play by acquiring Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees for pitching prospect Clayton Beeter.
At the time of the deal, Gallo was batting .159/.282/.339 and just one season removed from being one of the top players traded at the deadline. Although he got off to a hot start with the Dodgers, Gallo then regressed back to his production with the Yankees by hitting .162/.277/.393 in L.A.
Gallo is now a free agent for the first time in his career and is one of the most intriguing high-risk but high-reward options available.
It will be up to teams to determine if that risk is worth it, but agent Scott Boras, who represents Gallo, believes the two-time All-Star will produce better results in an everyday role with whatever team he signs with, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
Boras dismissed Gallo’s similar production after he was acquired by the Dodgers at the 2022 trade deadline, attributing it to not playing full-time, adding, “He’s going to be playing full-time wherever he [signs].”
Although Gallo is only a career .199 hitter, he has 177 home runs, including 38 each season he has played at least 145 games, to go along with a .325 on-base percentage and a .469 slugging. In addition to his two All-Star Game appearances, Gallo has also won two Gold Glove Awards in the outfield.
Despite his lack of production, Gallo was still named to the Dodgers’ postseason roster, which showed some of their faith in his ability. “Joey’s a threat. Every time he gets in there he can hit a homer. He prepares, he works hard, he cares,” manager Dave Roberts said about the decision to carry him on the roster.
However, Gallo did not appear in any of the four National League Division Series games before the Dodgers were eliminated.
Should the Dodgers re-sign Joey Gallo?
Gallo has stated how much he loved playing in L.A., and the Dodgers have more often than not been willing to take a chance on a high-upside player, which makes his return possible.
Although he was not able to make the necessary adjustments needed during the season, the Dodgers may hope a full offseason working with their hitting coaches could help get Gallo back into All-Star form.
Gallo may ultimately find another team who believes in him enough to give him a multi-year deal, but if he is willing to sign a one-year deal, the Dodgers would likely be near the top of his list.
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