You know it’s not going great for Joey Gallo as a Yankee when the slugger has seemed to discover a fourth true outcome: botched pop flies.
For if there’s one outcome that both the slugger and his employer want to avoid, it’s a sour ending to a shaky first ride together. Time is running out to avoid that, which would in turn lead to an unpleasant offseason.
The outfielder didn’t start Thursday night’s series finale against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, the lefty swinger getting a breather against Toronto southpaw Robbie Ray after leaving Wednesday’s game with an ailing left forearm that was hit by a pitch; tests came out well, Aaron Boone said, who added that he’d have Gallo available as a bench option.
Boone, a 2003 Yankees trade-deadline addition from the Reds, can identify with Gallo’s struggles since coming over from the Rangers in a July 29 trade. Yet that doesn’t mean the manager can magically fix what ails his new guy.
“I don’t discount anyone coming in the middle of a season and all that means, not just the baseball aspect but just turning your life upside down. So I’m certainly sensitive to that and understand the challenge that that brings,” Boone said. “Just making sure we continue to enforce with him what a good player he is and understanding he can be a game-changer even when he’s going through a tough stretch.
“It can change in a hurry. [He’s] gotta keep that mindset.”
Gallo’s reputation as a “three-true-outcome” hitter — plenty of strikeouts, walks and homers and not much else — came mitigated by his athleticism. Even when the Ks outnumbered the BBs and HRs, as they certainly have in a Yankees uniform — 84 strikeouts, 36 walks and 13 homers through Wednesday’s action, making for a .157/.304/.416 slash line — he could consistently defend his position and run the bases well.
The defense suddenly came into question with a pair of jaw-dropping misplays this week. First, on Sunday night at Fenway Park, Gallo failed to glove a pop fly to left field by Boston’s Kyle Schwarber, allowing the Red Sox to take a lead that the Yankees quickly erased.
Then, on Wednesday night at Rogers, Gallo allowed a George Springer can of corn to land between him and shortstop Gio Urshela to start the bottom of the fifth inning, leading to an additional run for the Jays as Toronto ultimately prevailed by a run, 6-5. Boone acknowledged afterward, “I think Joey’s got to completely take charge on that one, especially as good an outfielder [as he is].”
Asked whether Gallo could be pressing on defense as he clearly has on offense, Boone said, “Obviously, I think we’ve all seen what a talented outfielder he is, what a good outfielder he is. So I think just making sure that he remains aggressive out there and understands that obviously that’s one of those balls where it’s kind of in between, where you’ve got a long way to go, but making sure that he takes charge in those situations. Making sure that message gets sent.”
The acquisition cost for Gallo and lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez (four minor league players, one of whom, pitcher Glenn Otto, has reached the majors with Texas) factored in the reality that the Yankees can control Gallo through next season. At this juncture, though, that feels as much like a curse as a blessing.
The Yankees could simply non-tender Gallo, although that won’t happen; surely a trade partner could be found if the team determined that Gallo, like Sonny Gray, wasn’t meant to play in New York. If the Yankees decided to see how Gallo did with a full season, it would evoke memories of trying again with Gary Sanchez behind the plate and Gleyber Torres at shortstop, players and fits that fans didn’t support.
Unless Gallo alters his pinstriped narrative like Giancarlo Stanton has these last couple of months, not impossible. He can start with the baby step of becoming a reliable outfielder again.