CHICAGO — A terrible first impression hasn’t ruined Joey Gallo in the eyes of the man who is currently set to pay his 2022 check.
“We got him because I loved the left-handed bat,” Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday of the outfielder, whom the Yankees acquired from the Rangers last July. “I loved the personality. He’s great in the clubhouse. And he’s a great talent. He walks a lot, too, right?…Do I wish he had performed a bit better? Yes, of course. But I’m not worried. Watch him next year.”
After becoming a Yankee in return for four minor leaguers, Gallo, who turns 28 on Friday, slashed .160/.303/.404, homering 13 times and striking out 88 times in 188 at-bats. He also struggled defensively, uncharacteristically, and went 0-for-4 in the Yankees’ loss to the Red Sox in the American League wild-card game.
Following the 2018 season, the Yankees determined that pitcher Sonny Gray, whom they had acquired from Oakland the prior year, would thrive best outside of New York. Such a determination has not been made on Gallo, Steinbrenner asserted: “Nobody’s come to me saying, ‘Uh oh.’ No. Absolutely not.”
Gallo can become a free agent after the 2022 season.