Joey Gallo’s comments after first Dodgers HR show how wrong Yankees were

When someone’s not a fit, they’re simply not a fit. The New York Yankees learned that the hard way after they traded for Joey Gallo last year, despite reported warnings from influential voices in the front office advising against it.

Turns out, the Yankees’ top decision makers were wrong to ignore those suggestions, because Gallo was arguably the worst full-time player the franchise has ever seen for a full calendar year. He hit .159 with 25 homers, 46 RBI, a .660 OPS, 85 OPS+ and 194 strikeouts (!) in 140 games (501 at-bats). His defense was far from “Gold Glove material” too.

So when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was a sense of relief for all parties … but smart Yankees fans knew this was going to come back to bite them in some way. It always does. Everybody who comes here and faceplants immediately goes elsewhere and produces.

Good thing YES broadcaster Michael Kay got that rip job in on Gallo right at the buzzer, right? That surely helped the Yankees’ karma (they have one single, solitary win since).

Now, let’s preface this by saying Gallo’s start with the Dodgers has been bad. Whatever LA fans want to spin at this point, they can enjoy themselves. But Gallo, in his first 14 at-bats, logged a double, two singles (one off a position player), zero walks and eight strikeouts. Not good.

So, naturally, his pinch-hit home run on Wednesday night that extended the Dodgers’ lead from 5-4 to 8-4 is going to bring out all the hot takes.

Joey Gallo took some shots at the Yankees after his first HR with the Dodgers

Might be more of an indictment on Griffin Jax than it is a triumph for Gallo, but hey, nice hit Joey! Must’ve felt pretty damn good to get that release and have an entire stadium cheering for you. Happy for the guy!

In the end, Gallo’s time in the Bronx was the Yankees’ fault. Many fans questioned his arrival last July simply because he was a redundant (and worse) version of the best sluggers in New York’s lineup. Why stock up on more of these guys? And why get arguably the most volatile boom-or-bust candidate?

Gallo’s postgame comments further show how a) he should’ve never been a Yankee and b) how he very much didn’t like being a Yankee. And we can’t blame him!

Funny thing about that is … well, he’s not wrong. He hardly had support of the fans. But towards the end, the vitriol turned to sympathy. Over the last two-ish months of his tenure, everyone just felt bad. Gallo never even came close to a moment like this in New York either, outside of his go-ahead three-run shot against the Mariners in his seventh game as a Yankee. After that, nothing even close to something of that magnitude.

That wasn’t all, though. Gallo of course loosely alluded to the Yankees’ hair policy, saying “it helps not having to shave all the time … I like having a beard usually, a little bit.”

When Gallo was photographed upon his arrival in LA after the trade, he already had a beard. Couldn’t wait to get that thing back on after having to constantly shave every day for the better part of a year.

Yankees fans can be frustrated with Gallo for his time in New York and with each and every painful storyline that details his success with the Dodgers (and that’s undoubtedly going to happen every time he does something positive). But this is the front office’s fault. They tried to stuff a square peg into a round hole after being told it was a bad idea, and they paid for it in more ways than anyone could’ve ever imagined.

Michael Kay unloads on Joey Gallo after Yankees trade

New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay unloaded on outfielder Joey Gallo after he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.