The New York Yankees are a flawed team and no one player may sum that up better than Joey Gallo. A Gold Glove caliber right fielder, he has been placed in left due to the presence of Aaron Judge. He is capable of producing highlight reel tape measure homers, but swings and misses enough to be a source of wind energy.
As it is, Gallo has been a disappointment on a Yankees team that is sputtering along. He has just four hits in his 39 plate appearances, all of which have been singles. While he has drawn six walks, Gallo has also struck out 15 times.
Joey Gallo not giving New York Yankees anything at all
A team can live with Gallo when he is providing at least Three True Outcomes. His strikeouts can be mitigated by his ability to get on base and hit for power. Even his weakened defense in left is salvageable if he is doing what he usually does with the bat.
That is not the case right now. Gallo has been more productive than only Kyle Higashioka amongst the starters, and no one is expecting the Yankees backstop to be anything close to a viable major league bat. Gallo, however, is supposed to be a key part of the lineup. Nonetheless, it is time for him to get a seat on the bench for a couple of days to clear his head.
This is easier said than done. The flawed construction of the Yankees’ roster would necessitate that either Marwin Gonzalez, Tim Locastro, or Giancarlo Stanton head to left in Gallo’s place. Gonzalez is not the Made By RubberMaid bat he was with the Astros. Locastro may have plenty of speed, but regardless of what the Savannah Bananas would have anyone believe, you cannot steal first base.
No one is asking that the Yankees have another Gallo-esque bat on the bench ready to perform. But it is entirely reasonable to ask that the Yankees have a competent fourth outfielder who can cover whichever position due to injury or a player’s struggles. Gallo’s struggles and flaws are, at this moment, perfectly mirroring what is wrong with the Yankees.
The New York Yankees need to give Joey Gallo a breather. The flawed construction of their roster makes doing so virtually impossible.