Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers (photo by Jeff Nyveen, via Flickr).
Seattle Mariners 2023 outfield… center field-Julio Rodriguez-check; right field-Teoscar Hernandez-check; left field-Jarred Kelenic, Sam Haggerty, Dylan Moore-ahh maybe. It seems like left field is an area of opportunity for Seattle. Why not free agent Joey Gallo?
Yes, that Joey Gallo. He crapped the bed in New York and didn’t look much better last year with the Dodgers, either. He strikes out a ridiculous amount of the time and last year pushed his career batting average below the Mendoza Line.
Based on his recent performance, Gallo isn’t the most exciting free agent option out there. The thing is, he might be exactly what the Seattle Mariners need.
There is a big reason Gallo is possibly the best buy-low candidate in baseball. The new shift rules.
Last year he faced the shift more than almost any other batter. And not by a small amount. With Gallo’s propensity to pull almost every pitch, opposing teams used the shift against him in 88% of his at bats. With a normal alignment, his expected average rises by almost 70 points.
If Joey Gallo hits .250, his OBP should creep back up to the .375 to .380 range. For his career, Gallo walks in about 13% of his plate appearances.
If he puts up those numbers along with his 35 to 40 home runs that’s a mid-to-upper .800s OPS. Throw in his gold glove-caliber defense, Gallo would be a steal.
A left-handed bat with that kind of production in the bottom third of the M’s batting order does wonders for Seattle. He would be everything they expected to get from Kelenic in an MLB-ready package.
A Seattle Mariners outfield of Rodriguez, Hernandez, and Gallo would provide above-average defense and tons of power. Think about the “production” they got from Jesse Winker, Mitch Haniger, etc., last year.
A normal Hernandez season, along with a bounce back from Gallo, and Seattle significantly closes the gap between them and Houston. Especially since the Astros lost Justin Verlander in free agency
An added bonus is Gallo is a great locker room guy. He’s a phenomenal teammate who owned his failures, worked hard, and faced the media every day while he struggled in New York.
It also wouldn’t hurt to bring in a good chemistry guy to replace the less-than-beloved Winker.
The Seattle Mariners are a young team that’s confidence is still growing, adding in another veteran with post-season experience is a plus. If that veteran is a positive influence, then all the better.
The strikeouts are going to be there. Gallo is a “free swinger,” even with eliminating the shift, he’ll still be close to 200 K’s per season.
“I don’t know how to be a guy who can shoot the ball the other way and play small ball, essentially. At this level, you can’t just switch. You have to play to what your strengths are.”
Joey Gallo to NJ.com
Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez amd Cal Raliegh will also going to strike out a ton, although Raleigh should improve. Hopefully, Rodriguez can cut down on his whiffs as he also continues to develop.
Whether they sign Gallo or go with someone else, the Seattle Mariners need Kolten Wong, Ty France, and J.P. Crawford keep the ball in play enough times that they don’t become an all-or-nothing offense. But adding the 6’5″ slugger is a gamble worth taking.
Joey Gallo plays the right position, hits from the right side of the plate (left), and provides everything Seattle needs. He will cost hundreds of millions less than any top or mid-tier free agent, and there’s no prospect cost to acquire him.
A one or even two-year deal with an AAV of around $8-12M, which is not a steep price in the current market, should get it done. Again, Gallo might not be the most high profile player available, but he may just be the right one for Seattle.
What do you think about the Seattle Mariners making a run at Joey Gallo in free agency?