Joey Gallo - our lefty power bat

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Doing right by a veteran on a one year deal tells me they have more of those in mind for future years. That’s sad.

that's a risk, but I view Rizzo as somebody who wants to maintain a rep as being straightforward and living by the "unwritten rules" / baseball code. He's living up to the terms of how he brought Gallo in so he can say I'm a man of my word. He's just arrogant enough to think that matters. And let's also be clear - this isn't a meaningful negative impact on the team right now, if you view it as Gallo vs Blankenhorn. As for its impact on Crews's development, there's a bit of let's see what happens after the end of the AAA season.

[Slateman]

Doing right by a veteran on a one year deal tells me they have more of those in mind for future years. That’s sad.

Doing right would be releasing him and let him either sign on with a playoff team, or start his offseason early

[Natsinpwc]

Doing right would be releasing him and let him either sign on with a playoff team, or start his offseason early

No team is going to sign him. So they are keeping him so he can produce any little value on what they are paying him. See Ian’s posts for more details.

[Smithian]

Gallo got a pinch hit last night. As long as he is resigned to a bench role while Yepez and Chaparro are getting DH/1b starts, I'm not too mad about him being on the bench. Someone has to sit and I don't want a young player who needs at bats in that spot.

[IanRubbish]

He’s starting tonight.

[Slateman]

Gallo got a pinch hit last night. As long as he is resigned to a bench role while Yepez and Chaparro are getting DH/1b starts, I'm not too mad about him being on the bench. Someone has to sit and I don't want a young player who needs at bats in that spot.

You know they're going to start him.

[Senatorswin]

Gallo got a pinch hit last night. As long as he is resigned to a bench role while Yepez and Chaparro are getting DH/1b starts, I'm not too mad about him being on the bench. Someone has to sit and I don't want a young player who needs at bats in that spot.

Gallo walked. It was a good at bat and what they needed down by 2. Wood's bat before that was not a good at bat. They needed a base runner and he chased when it looked like if he was more patient he could of walked. The main significance of that is for the first time in the at bats I've seen of him it looked like he was trying to hit another 417 ft home run when they were down by 2 and he was leadoff. I hope he stays with the same approach he's had since he came up.

[imref]

Starting at first in place of yepez tonight

[Smithian]

Starting at first in place of yepez tonight

Don't love it. As long as it is only spot starts, I'll be fine with it.

[Slateman]

We're already beyond spot starts.

[Smithian]

We're already beyond spot starts.

This is made more frustrating by the fact Yepez should absolutely be hitting every day as we challenge him to a full workload and Andres Chaparro is hitting well enough he should be out there every day.

I don't get this crap with MLB teams. "Doing right" for a veteran has never paid off for a franchise. Players demand this dignity and respect then become ice cold money crunchers at contract time. No free agent this summer is going to think, "I need 3/$48 million, but the Nationals did right by Joey Gallo so I'll settle for 3/$42 million"

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Well, Gallo at 1st probably helps the infielders and pitchers with D. FWIW, Gore's slump and recovery sort of coincides with Gallo being out of the lineup and then returning, and we've all complained about defensive miscues. I'd  like to Yepez and Chaparro get chances vs. righties, but I don't mind Gallo playing only vs righties and the other two alternating sitting.

[IanRubbish]

His ISO is way below career avg at just .149.  With a batting average under .200, this is screaming DFA.  What on earth are they playing him for?  Are they going to re-sign him when he's one year older expecting to flip him?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

His ISO is way below career avg at just .149.  With a batting average under .200, this is screaming DFA.  What on earth are they playing him for?  Are they going to re-sign him when he's one year older expecting to flip him?

his defense at 1st helps Abrams and Tena. He's their 4th outfielder, too. I don't think they bring him back, but they are going to keep him around for 2+ more weeks.

[KV]

I don’t get the point of playing Gallo anymore. He was brought in as a piece to flip at the deadline…that’s come and gone…and he has no future with the team. He’s a black hole in the lineup. Play Chapparo, or Yepez, or try Tena at 1st. Anybody. Gallo is just worthless.

[Slateman]

Me either

[IanRubbish]

his defense at 1st helps Abrams and Tena. He's their 4th outfielder, too. I don't think they bring him back, but they are going to keep him around for 2+ more weeks.

What for?  To teach the younger players how to make errors and strikeout?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

What for?  To teach the younger players how to make errors and strikeout?

eh, he didn't come up with a throw Garcia rushed and bounced a couple times to 1st for a DP. Otherwise, you can't complain too much about his D. That said, the title of the thread is "our lefty power bat" and he no longer is a power bat. Gallo's .146 ISO puts him behind Chappy, Crews, Abrams, Yepez, Garcia, and Ruiz hitting lefty on the current team, 4th among lefties. While he's ahead of Wood (.137), Wood SLG is more than .100 points higher because he actually makes more than occasional contact; also draws walks at nearly the same rate, and even has a much lower K rate (39% vs 29%), which was supposed to be his weakness. Even if you look at just vs. RHP, Gallo's SLG is 10th among active players and is behind Nasim Nunez (while he's not active, he's behind Riley Adams, who played himself off the team).

How terrible must Davey think Yepez and Chaparro are at 1st to take such a big offensive hit and play Gallo at this point?

[varoadking]

eh, he didn't come up with a throw Garcia rushed and bounced a couple times to 1st for a DP. Otherwise, you can't complain too much about his D. That said, the title of the thread is "our lefty power bat" and he no longer is a power bat. Gallo's .146 ISO puts him behind Chappy, Crews, Abrams, Yepez, Garcia, and Ruiz hitting lefty on the current team, 4th among lefties. While he's ahead of Wood (.137), Wood SLG is more than .100 points higher because he actually makes more than occasional contact; also draws walks at nearly the same rate, and even has a much lower K rate (39% vs 29%), which was supposed to be his weakness. Even if you look at just vs. RHP, Gallo's SLG is 10th among active players and is behind Nasim Nunez (while he's not active, he's behind Riley Adams, who played himself off the team).

How terrible must Davey think Yepez and Chaparro are at 1st to take such a big offensive hit and play Gallo at this point?

They want to showcase him so their "buddy" Boras can pull the wool over someone else's eyes next year...

[Natsinpwc]

It's basically a reward for showing up to work and probably being a good guy.  Maybe he will retire and they can give him a job in the system.

[OfftheBat]

Can't wait for him to be gone.

[IanRubbish]

I get that he's the 2nd highest paid hitter after Keibert, but not clear if this is playing the contract or just plain stupidity.

[varoadking]

I get that he's the 2nd highest paid hitter after Keibert, but not clear if this is playing the contract or just plain stupidity.

Is there a difference?

[IanRubbish]

It's basically a reward for showing up to work and probably being a good guy.  Maybe he will retire and they can give him a job in the system.

Doing what?  Lessons on how to hit .157?