I Was Skeptical of Joey Gallo. Now I'm Relieved to Have Him Aboard.

[jkcarew]

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

We’ve played two games. While I’m not exactly not skeptical of this and have been since he was signed, let’s give it more than two games.

That's what I'm saying when I say TBD. Certainly not ready to call him an asset or a good/wise addition yet. Although, I'd be mildly surprised if there isn't at least a little bounce back from 2022. Judging by ST, I'm convinced Rocco wanted him to lead-off...what with the superior career OBP to Kepler with all the walks, etc. But, late in ST and into the beginning of the year here, Rocco is obviously not ready to go there...and I can't say I blame him.

[LA Vikes Fan]

7 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The Twins are not going to release Joey Gallo before June, which is a long time from now. So it then becomes important how he is used if he is the 2022 Gallo, someone who should not be in the lineup. The hope is that Gallo can be a rebound player and that is quite a gamble. He will get 100 at bats before any serious evaluation. There is value in a guy playing good defense and hitting the long ball, even at a .210 BA. While I was not in favor of the signing, I'm more interested now in how he does combined with how Baldelli uses him. It was interesting that he was pinch hit for in the first game. We need to be patient and hope for the best.

Agreed. He gets 100 PAs before appearances before making a decision. By the way, so should Kepler but not more than that. I think the big question is what do we do in the likely event that it's May 1, Kepler and Gallo each have had roughly 100 PAs, neither one is hitting even .220, and neither has even 5-6 HRs? Maybe its time for Kirilloff to go to 1B or the OF, leave Larnach in LF, put Polanco at 1B with Gordon and Farmer platooning at 2B and bring up Julien to be a 1B/DH. Kepler and Gallo go to the bench. I have a feeling that the Twins are going to be quicker with the hook this year on non-productive veteran players. We've got some guys who may be ready; it's the right thing to do.    

[LA Vikes Fan]

4 hours ago, rv78 said:

Until Kirilloff is ready, Gallo's the main option at 1B. Doesn't mean we have to like it or even that it is the best option. One thing is for sure, the Twins don't give a guy $11M to sit on the bench and Gallo won't be an exception. If he isn't at 1B he'll be in the outfield. I doubt we will ever see him at 3B with Miranda, Farmer and Solano on the roster. Besides all 3 of them hit much better than Gallo. So, if/when Kirilloff comes back and if/when he starts hitting with reckless abandon, Gallo will take playing time away from an outfielder or two, and if that is Kepler who is just as inept at hitting, then nothing will be lost. If it is Larnach, Gordon, Lewis, or Martin then someone will need to have their head examined. 

The Gallo/Kepler watch line is 0-7 with 2-K's, 0-BB, 0-HR, 0-RBI and 5-LOB. 

You said it brother! It's ok if he he takes ABs away from Kepler. Gallo is just as good in the field and both are very iffy at hitting to say the least. But if Gallo and Kepler both don't hit by mid-May (most likely result based on track record) but both play and take away ABs from Larnach, Kirilloff or Gordon, then something is very wrong in the FO and the dugout.  

[JD-TWINS]

7 hours ago, weitz41 said:

Boy of Boy is this one going to get a range of responses...You may as well post something positive about Pagan next.

1st off if Popkins can turn Gallo into a .240 average hitter with an under 30% k rate guy, he should be the manager!

2nd I hated this signing BUT can see why they did it..I don't agree with it..But I get it.

Also, I think it creates roadblocks for both Larnach and Julien. For those who say Julien hasn't played above AA. If I remember correctly neither did Kepler.

One final thought. A contending team IMO signs Gallo. A team in limbo doesn't..

I don't have to like everything the FO does, to still support the players.

AGREED. ……..Pagan may be a more favorable response. At least Pagan has a couple of upbeat metrics………..the ball being put in play by Gallo 25% of his AB’s is hard to imagine.

Hard to stomach but a positive risk move by the FO. He’s brought flexible defensive depth, in one body on the roster, and has the ability to hit an HR once a week……Having the ability and getting it done are 2 different things!

Support the team - don’t need to love it, agreed!

My worry is Alex & Jorge come back & they option Larnach. Might start screaming then…….only other option is Solano…….who gets most leash….Gallo - Solano - Kepler?

[DocBauer]

I hated the signing.

And then I read and read some more, listened, reflected, and realized it just wasn't the bad move I initially thought it was.

Not a big fan of the 3 true outcomes, but Gallo rebounding to what he was in Texas is a real threat. He's a quality defensive OF and 1B. And his signing also provides that potentially big bat and good glove at 1B for the moment. So while I don't share the enthusiasm of the OP, it was still a smart flier that only costs $. 

I don't know if 100 PA is the magic number for him or not, but I do know there should be a point where he's either providing that dangerous "threat" and some production, or he looks like a 1yr sunk cost. At that point, AK should be ready, possibly Julien as well, and it should be time to move on.

NOT saying the negative is going to happen! But I also don't want to take AB and opportunity away from talented youngsters that are the future and will hopefully be looking good, just because the Twins cling to misguided hope.

[darwin22]

8 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Sorry, not buying a career turnaround at his age. I think his inability to put the ball in play is going to be frustrating all year and we’re going to see him pinch hit for regularly, or we’ll be complaining about leaving men on base all season.

2 games in:  0-6 with 4 whiffs against a KC pitching staff that is NOT good.

[JD-TWINS]

26 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Agreed. He gets 100 PAs before appearances before making a decision. By the way, so should Kepler but not more than that. I think the big question is what do we do in the likely event that it's May 1, Kepler and Gallo each have had roughly 100 PAs, neither one is hitting even .220, and neither has even 5-6 HRs? Maybe its time for Kirilloff to go to 1B or the OF, leave Larnach in LF, put Polanco at 1B with Gordon and Farmer platooning at 2B and bring up Julien to be a 1B/DH. Kepler and Gallo go to the bench. I have a feeling that the Twins are going to be quicker with the hook this year on non-productive veteran players. We've got some guys who may be ready; it's the right thing to do.    

Polanco will stay at 2B - Farmer to 3B & Miranda to 1B v. LH pitching. Kiriloff at 1B v. RH pitching with Gordon in the OF (position depending upon if Kepler or Gallo gets released)……not enough room on the roster for Kiriloff - Polanco - Larnach - Gallo - Kepler - Solano…………would they DFA Solano to have Kepler & Gallo on the bench by middle of May?

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Agreed. He gets 100 PAs before appearances before making a decision. By the way, so should Kepler but not more than that. I think the big question is what do we do in the likely event that it's May 1, Kepler and Gallo each have had roughly 100 PAs, neither one is hitting even .220, and neither has even 5-6 HRs? Maybe its time for Kirilloff to go to 1B or the OF, leave Larnach in LF, put Polanco at 1B with Gordon and Farmer platooning at 2B and bring up Julien to be a 1B/DH. Kepler and Gallo go to the bench. I have a feeling that the Twins are going to be quicker with the hook this year on non-productive veteran players. We've got some guys who may be ready; it's the right thing to do.    

The Twins spent a record amount of money (for them) to put this team on the field. They will both want to see what these guys can do and be more proactive if the results do not meet expectations. Any combination of players could be used by June to produce lineups conducive to competitive games. It should be a fun and interesting year.

[PopRiveter]

I love high avg, high obp, frequent contact baseball. Action. Balls in play.

Arraez was my favorite 2022 Twin by a wide margin. Gallo is the the worst of the worst when it comes to the player types I want to watch.

This trade-out was so disheartening and offensive to me that I haven’t watched (or listened to) an inning of ball in 2023. Skipped all ST and don’t really know when I’ll feel the urge to catch a game.

I’ve gotten a lot more projects done around the house, so his $11m is paying off for my wife. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

16 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

AGREED. ……..Pagan may be a more favorable response. At least Pagan has a couple of upbeat metrics………..the ball being put in play by Gallo 25% of his AB’s is hard to imagine.

Hard to stomach but a positive risk move by the FO. He’s brought flexible defensive depth, in one body on the roster, and has the ability to hit an HR once a week……Having the ability and getting it done are 2 different things!

Support the team - don’t need to love it, agreed!

My worry is Alex & Jorge come back & they option Larnach. Might start screaming then…….only other option is Solano…….who gets most leash….Gallo - Solano - Kepler?

Tough question. If Larnach hits, you have the right 3 from which to choose. As they say, good problem to have. Most likely a Castro release/demotion or an injury will provide the opening for Polanco. Kirilloff will probably have to crush AAA for a couple of weeks before he gets a shot and even then may need an injury to move up. When Polanco and Kirilloff are both ready, to me the right answer is to option/release Castro and then either trade either Kepler or Gallo or release Solano. I would do the former if there is any value in trading Kepler. The problem is that no one really wants him and the Twins aren't going to release him or Gallo until at least June or July and then only if they really stink. It may take an injury for Kirilloff to get back to the MLB level. 

All of this is interesting, but let's be honest - someone is going to get hurt and we'll be glad we have all of these guys...    

[JD-TWINS]

Joey G. - it’s Sunday afternoon v. the Royals & IMO, after 3-4 negative comments in this forum by me, you just bought yourself the rest of the first half of the season w/o me asking for your release!!!

107 Mph double off the wall

Solo bomb 431ft

3 run bomb …….all in 3 consecutive AB’s……3 runs scored with 4 RBI.

There’s some realized potential if I’ve ever seen it………raw power.

WELL DONE!!!!

[Fire Dan Gladden]

10 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Joey G. - it’s Sunday afternoon v. the Royals & IMO, after 3-4 negative comments in this forum by me, you just bought yourself the rest of the first half of the season w/o me asking for your release!!!

107 Mph double off the wall

Solo bomb 431ft

3 run bomb …….all in 3 consecutive AB’s……3 runs scored with 4 RBI.

There’s some realized potential if I’ve ever seen it………raw power.

WELL DONE!!!!

OMG... I can't stop laughing... Three hours ago, everybody wanted Gallo's head.  Two games in and he needed to go!

Then today's game started and crickets...

Thank you JD for bringing some reality to this situation.

[Dantes929]

On 4/1/2023 at 9:24 AM, theBOMisthebomb said:

No thank you, still a hard pass on Gallo. The one game I've seen him in a Twins uniform is one game too many. I do hope he hits 38+ home runs and I'm wrong with egg on my face.  

On pace for 108 home runs.   So far, so good.

[KirbyDome89]

26 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Then today's game started and crickets...

Serving up crow 3 games into the year; the most dangerous game....

[Fire Dan Gladden]

3 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Serving up crow 3 games into the year; the most dangerous game....

Thank you for making my point.  Passing judgement after a handful of games is terrible business.

[KirbyDome89]

23 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Thank you for making my point.  Passing judgement after a handful of games is terrible business.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

“The bigger question surrounds which version of Gallo’s bat comes north to Target Field. Will he be the behemoth that slugged 38 home runs in three different seasons? Or will he be the heir-apparent to Miguel Sano’s throne of punch outs?”

Both is a strong possibility. After a couple dingers today, I am more optimistic he can contribute something with the stick, but it’s only 3 games. Too early to tell

[tony&rodney]

2 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Three hours ago, everybody wanted Gallo's head.

That is not even remotely close to a representative thought of those on Twins Daily. Yes, there were some totally opposed to his signing and just a few who have been a little quick after two games to draw conclusions, but most people have applauded the depth signing and held out some hope that Gallo would be useful and were especially lauding his defense and utility playing first base. More to the point it was a given by the vast number of posts that I have read that Gallo would not be even evaluated until June if things were poor and more likely July. It is a long season and the depth of the team will be important. Starting with this week, the Twins will get tested by a series of decent teams and pitchers. Hopefully nobody jumps before July due to the short term results. Relax and settle back.

[John Belinski]

I am more concerned about Kepler's lack of hitting since he is 0-9 and looks lost. In Sunday's game the pitcher threw him 7 pitches out of the strike zone in his last at bat and Kepler swung at 6 of them leading to his strikeout. The Twins cannot afford an outfielder who cannot hit. He had a poor hitting year last year and it doesn't appear he will get better this year. I understand it is very early in the season, but he has looked bad in almost all of his 9 at bats.

[Beast]

The move was never a head scratcher.  It was clear why they did it.  Nobody on the roster can stay healthy, and the “surplus” hasn’t proven they can sustain production at the MLB level.

If people can’t see the value in a player like Gallo, I don’t know what to tell you. Throw the offense in the trash, even though there’s significant upside:

The guy can play every position in the OF at a high level - a place we’ve been decimated by injury in recent years.

He can play third, a place we have an unproven Miranda (defensively).

He can play first, where our once top prospect has spent 2.5 years dealing with chronic wrist issues.

Back to offense:  We have no threatening left handed hitters (no, Nick Gordon doesn’t qualify).  We have next to nobody that can take a good, professional AB and work a deep count consistently.  We don’t have a ton of power.  If he can even partially bounce back from last year, he could check all those boxes.

The guy was a perfect fit for the Twins. Especially when you don’t want to lock yourself into a long contract.

Being optimistic is a good thing.  But, just blindly hoping that “surplus” of players would pan out givin their individual histories wouldve been negligent.  Letting that group ride is how you end up collapsing like we did last year.

 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

33 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

That is not even remotely close to a representative thought of those on Twins Daily. Yes, there were some totally opposed to his signing and just a few who have been a little quick after two games to draw conclusions, but most people have applauded the depth signing and held out some hope that Gallo would be useful and were especially lauding his defense and utility playing first base. More to the point it was a given by the vast number of posts that I have read that Gallo would not be even evaluated until June if things were poor and more likely July. It is a long season and the depth of the team will be important. Starting with this week, the Twins will get tested by a series of decent teams and pitchers. Hopefully nobody jumps before July due to the short term results. Relax and settle back.

You are kidding right?  This signing has been DESTROYED by 90% of the posters here since Day one! 

- He is washed up.
- He is blocking the younger guys
- His defense is good, but not enough to outweigh is sub .200 average

Only since Kiriloff's injury was known to be worse than it is have people started to soften to the idea of him being here.  The responses to this article are still more negative than positive.  Then he has a monster game and the comments stop.  Don't even try to spin this any other way.

I am not a Gallo apologist.  I liked the signing at the time because I liked his defense, his flexibility, and the fact he is still young enough to turn it around.  I have never said he was the second coming, but the haters have either disappeared or done a complete 180.

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

You are kidding right?  This signing has been DESTROYED by 90% of the posters here since Day one! 

- He is washed up.
- He is blocking the younger guys
- His defense is good, but not enough to outweigh is sub .200 average

Only since Kiriloff's injury was known to be worse than it is have people started to soften to the idea of him being here.  The responses to this article are still more negative than positive.  Then he has a monster game and the comments stop.  Don't even try to spin this any other way.

I am not a Gallo apologist.  I liked the signing at the time because I liked his defense, his flexibility, and the fact he is still young enough to turn it around.  I have never said he was the second coming, but the haters have either disappeared or done a complete 180.

I'm not kidding. I was opposed to signing Gallo because of the strike outs, but have stated a number of times that he does add depth to the team. In fact, just recently  I wrote that Gall would get 100+ at bats before he was even re-evaluated by the Twins and stated my hopes that he could be a positive addition. I will still not be a Gallo fan at any point just like I have never apologized for being a Jorge Polanco fan. I don't believe you can put all readers ("everyone") of Twins Daily in one column. 

Perhaps someone could put up a poll to indicate to some degree where those who visit Twins Daily Gallo stand on Joey Gallo. My own take is that once he was signed we had to view him in the most positive light, hoping that Baldelli would consider his swings when putting his name in the lineup. The use of a pinch hitter in game two was a very small clue that Baldelli is watching the match ups and game situations.

[Riverbrian]

On 4/1/2023 at 11:33 AM, Lou Hennessy said:

 

 

Look, I'm not saying he'll be a surefire MVP or anything. I'm just relieved to have him now given the injuries to the current roster. Lack of depth killed this team in the last six weeks of last season. I'm glad there's higher-upside backup plan in place this year. 

 

I'm not calling for the team to hand him an extension after one game. There's no need to start building a statue for him. But my perspective on his addition has changed since he was signed. That's all.

Injuries... Who'da thunk. 😉

 

[Linus]

I think the start of the season is representative of what Gallo brings to the table. Good defense at multiple positions with games where he doesn’t do a thing at the plate followed up by a game where he is a real difference maker at the plate. Just gonna have to get used to lots of swings and misses. 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

31 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm not kidding. I was opposed to signing Gallo because of the strike outs, but have stated a number of times that he does add depth to the team. In fact, just recently  I wrote that Gall would get 100+ at bats before he was even re-evaluated by the Twins and stated my hopes that he could be a positive addition. I will still not be a Gallo fan at any point just like I have never apologized for being a Jorge Polanco fan. I don't believe you can put all readers ("everyone") of Twins Daily in one column. 

Perhaps someone could put up a poll to indicate to some degree where those who visit Twins Daily Gallo stand on Joey Gallo. My own take is that once he was signed we had to view him in the most positive light, hoping that Baldelli would consider his swings when putting his name in the lineup. The use of a pinch hitter in game two was a very small clue that Baldelli is watching the match ups and game situations.

You said it was not representative of Twins Daily, not you personally.  Anybody who reads Twins Daily and thinks that the large majority of opinions of the Joey Gallo signing were not negative (or borderline vitriolic) are being dishonest or do not read the site.

 

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

“The bigger question surrounds which version of Gallo’s bat comes north to Target Field. Will he be the behemoth that slugged 38 home runs in three different seasons? Or will he be the heir-apparent to Miguel Sano’s throne of punch outs?”

Both is a strong possibility. After a couple dingers today, I am more optimistic he can contribute something with the stick, but it’s only 3 games. Too early to tell

He cemented the game today. If he can do similar stuff every 10-12 games he’s worth playing……tough to watch in between maybe.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

4 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

He cemented the game today. If he can do similar stuff every 10-12 games he’s worth playing……tough to watch in between maybe.

25-30 home runs and striking out 200 times would be very difficult to watch, but valuable. 

[GNess]

Gallo has a history of big production and big failure. But he provides defensive competence/strength at numerous positions. That's a major plus. He also provides the possibility of a return to his 30+ home run / high OBP seasons. 

Yes, many on TD have panned signing Gallo. But at this point, it is way too early to tell if the promise and potential he has is realized. 

Choosing some arbitrary barrier of "give him 100 at bats" to prove himself is not a reasonable way to proceed given the variability for most MLB hitters. His next 100 could be awesome...

[MGX]

12 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

You are kidding right?  This signing has been DESTROYED by 90% of the posters here since Day one! 

- He is washed up.
- He is blocking the younger guys
- His defense is good, but not enough to outweigh is sub .200 average

Only since Kiriloff's injury was known to be worse than it is have people started to soften to the idea of him being here.  The responses to this article are still more negative than positive.  Then he has a monster game and the comments stop.  Don't even try to spin this any other way.

I am not a Gallo apologist.  I liked the signing at the time because I liked his defense, his flexibility, and the fact he is still young enough to turn it around.  I have never said he was the second coming, but the haters have either disappeared or done a complete 180.

In your previous post you said after two games emphasizing an over reaction. In this post you say from day one..

I've been critical of the Gallo signing since it happened & am still skeptical about what we'll get out of him this season. With that said seeing him make hard contact in three consecutive PA's & draw a walk all while not striking out was great. That was indeed a monster game as you said, but it is just one game the same as his first two games weren't good offensively, but were just a couple of games.

He is going to play a lot & a couple of months down the road the results should determine what happens. I suspect most people are concerned that if he were to struggle this year like he has for the past season and a half, hitting far below .200, OPSing below .700 how long do they stick with him. 

If by June he has an OPS north .800 & is playing well in the field (which everyone believes he will) I'm guessing most TD posters will be thrilled. I know I would be.

[Battle ur tail off]

The guy will probably be hit and miss. This weekend he was hit. All or nothing. 

Royals are terrible though, so we will see.