Joey Gallo Released by White Sox, Shifts Focus to Pitching

The White Sox have granted two-time All-Star Joey Gallo his unconditional release. Gallo was signed to a minor league deal with the White Sox in February, however, he struggled in camp logging just two hits in nine games.  

If you can’t make a roster that won 41 games the season before, it might be a sign that you need to try something new. That is precisely what Gallo will be doing. 

The two-time All-Star announced on social media that he was saying goodbye to the outfield to focus his efforts on becoming a pitcher. While Gallo has no professional experience toeing the rubber, he does possess a big arm. In 2023, his arm strength ranked in the 82nd percentile among MLB players. That right arm played a crucial role in his defensive excellence, earning him back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in right field in 2021 and 2022.

The decision makes sense for a player whose offensive production has steadily declined over the past three seasons. The 31-year-old inked a $5 million free-agent deal with the Nationals last January but struggled at the plate. In 76 games, he slashed just .161/.277/.336 with 10 home runs across 260 plate appearances. His high strikeout rates remained a glaring issue, as he struck out in 39.2% of his trips to the plate—the second-highest rate among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances. However, what was more concerning was a career-low 12.3% walk rate and a dip in power, reflected in his personal-worst slugging percentage.

The 2024 season continued a concerning downward trend for Gallo after the Yankees acquired him from the Rangers in a blockbuster 2021 trade. During his time in Texas, he posted a .211/.336/.497 slash line across parts of seven seasons, launching 145 home runs and driving in 317 runs. However, since leaving Arlington, his numbers have cratered to .165/.289/.384 over 1,200 plate appearances with four teams, managing just 63 homers and 136 RBIs in that span. 

The White Sox may have overlooked the offensive struggles if he still played the outfield at a high level. However, in recent years, Gallo has shifted primarily to first base. Last season, he logged 477.2 innings at first compared to just 77 in the outfield, despite having the versatility to play all three outfield positions.

With Andrew Vaughn already solidifying his spot at first base, Gallo’s best bet to make the team was as a designated hitter. But with plenty of DH candidates who provide more versatility in the field in camp, his .100 batting average through 20 Cactus League at-bats wasn’t going to cut it.