Twins sign Joey Gallo to a one-year deal

The twins agree with the outfielder Joey Gallo In a one-year deal, she will pay him $11 million.

Gallo, 29, was at times one of the most feared kickers in the league, but he was starting to swing. With the Rangers from 2017 to 2019, he was the poster man for the three true hits: home runs, strikeouts, and walks. In that three-year span, he made 36.8% of his plate appearances while league averages at the time hovered around 22%. His walk rate of 14.3% was well above the league average of 8.5% at the time. He also hit 103 home runs that stretch, leading to a .217/.336/.533 hitting streak. Despite the huge totals, this production was 20% higher than the league average, as evidenced by his 120 wRC+.

However, the seasons since then have not been entirely smooth sailing. In the shortened 2020 season, Gallo hit . 181/. 301/. 378 for 86 points. And he seemed to bounce back in the first half of 2021, sitting on the .223/.379/.490 line for a WRC+138 when the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. Unfortunately, he swooned in the Bronx, hitting .160/.303/.404 after the bargain, 95 wRC+. He couldn’t quite correct course this year, as his first 82 games led to a .159/.282/.339 streak and 82 wRC+ before the Yanks flipped him to the Dodgers at the deadline. Moving to Hollywood didn’t change much, hitting .162/.277/.393 as a Dodger of wRC+ of 91.

Although the Mendoza semi’s batting averages are certainly unpleasant to the eye, there is plenty of reason to believe he can get the train back on the tracks. For one thing, he’s still young, having just turned 29 last month. He’s also still knocking snot out of the ball, with a strikeout percentage of 94 in 2022, a barrel rate of 98 and a maximum out speed of 89. Coming rules prohibiting defensive turnovers will likely help him as well, since he hits from the left side. According to Statcast, Gallo is changed in 90% of his plate appearances, one of the 20 highest averages in the league.

Even if he can’t rebound to the plate, he can still be a valuable player because of his solid defense. He’s had a positive on-field score by defensemen and saves every season of his career, while his Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average only gave him a negative number in 2022. For his work on the court as a whole, he has 43 DRS, 19 UZR and 7 OAA. Although his bat was sub-par all year in 2022, he was still worth 0.6 wins above replacement, in FanGraphs’ eyes. In 2021, when he was good with the Texas but bad with the Yanks, he was worth 4.2 fWAR.

For the Twins, Gallo must go into one corner of the court, using a Byron Buxton in the center. This only adds to the crowded outdoor mix, as the club has many options on its menu. she was mentioned Last week the club gained commercial interest Max Kepleras they did too Trevor LarnachAnd the Alex KirillovAnd the Kyle GarlickAnd the Gilberto CelestinoAnd the Royce LewisAnd the Nick GordonAnd the Wallner died And the Mark Contreras in their external mix. Some of these guys can also play on the court, but it’s quite the crowded dance floor. With Gallo now added to the mix, it seems to make a trade with Kepler or someone else much more likely.

The Twins should have space available on the payroll, as most of them have been directed off-season about going after it Carlos Correa. club It said He was offered $285 million over 10 years, or $28.5 million per season, though he instead signed with the Giants for $350 million over 13 years. The twins have now offered $11 million to Gallo instead, seizing the opportunity to rediscover some of his former form in a new environment. The move raises the club’s payroll to $118 million each list resource. The club’s franchise record for opening day payroll was the $134 million they ran out in 2022, per Cradle baseball contracts. Assuming they’re willing to spend at similar levels this year, they still have about $16 million to work with, even though Keibler will take home an $8.5 million salary in 2023 plus a $1 million buy on a $10 million club option. Moving him can create additional payroll space unless they also take some paycheck in the trade.

Despite unexpectedly landing a superstar like Correa in 2022, the Twins disappointed by finishing 78-84, 14 games behind in American League Central. They will now have to try and figure out how to be better without Korea in 2023. Better health would be one way, as they suffered an unbelievable number of injuries in 2022. Another path might be reallocating his $35.1 million salary to multiple players and hoping in surplus value, with Gallo now one of them.

John Heyman from the New York Post It was first reported that Gallo and the Twins agreed on $11 million. ESPN’s Jeff Bassin I first reported on a one year agreement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.