It is the end of a one-year era in the Bronx. The New York Yankees traded Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday afternoon, according to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. In return, the Yankees will receive minor league pitcher Clayton Beeter. Los Angeles will assume the amount left on Gallo’s contract, close to $4 million.
Joey Gallo Traded to LA
The news of this trade comes as no surprise. Gallo struggled during his entire tenure in New York, but especially this season. In 82 games in 2022, he batted .159 with 12 homers, 24 RBIs, and a .621 OPS. He struck out 106 times in 273 at-bats. One notable stat thrown around in the last week is that Aaron Judge has more home runs this season (now 43) than Gallo has hits (37).
The 28-year-old Gallo was never a high-average hitter in his career, but he fell off a cliff after coming to New York last year from the Texas Rangers. Hopefully, a change of scenery will help the two-time All-Star get back on track as a hitter. Based on a recent NJ.com interview with Gallo, his struggles have taken a mental toll, which has been exacerbated by the treatment he’s received from Yankees fans. A snowball effect like that meant Gallo staying in New York would not be workable. As a role player in LA, he may be able to find his home run swing once again.
Beeter, the return piece for the Yankees, is the 15th-ranked prospect in the Dodgers system. He was a second-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2020. A Texas Tech product, he has spent 2022 with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. In 18 games (16 starts), he has a 5.75 ERA with a 1.606 WHIP, albeit with 88 strikeouts. These numbers are not as good as his numbers at prior levels, but that could merely indicate growing pains. If Beeter’s game is refined, he could see major league action within a year or two.
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