6 former Yankees players who made it very obvious they couldn't handle New York

Outfielder Joey Gallo became a whiff machine during his Yankees tenure

When the Yankees acquired slugger Joey Gallo in a trade with the Texas Rangers in 2021, they thought they knew what they were getting themselves into. The lefty first baseman-turned-outfielder was the epitome of a three-true-outcomes hitter, as he'd led the league in both walks and strikeouts that year.

Despite his contact deficiencies, the Yankees were getting a 27-year-old with two 40-homer seasons already on his resume, who would be playing his home games in a ballpark that would accentuate his strengths. Gallo was slashing .223/.379/.490 at the time of the deadline deal, inspiring hope that he'd provide a much needed jolt to the Yankees lineup.

Instead, Gallo hit .160/.303/.404 down the stretch for the Yankees in 2021. 2022 was even worse, as his walks and power disappeared completely with a .159/.282/.339 performance through 82 games before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Playing in New York seems to have completely broken Gallo, who hit rock bottom in 2025, signing a minor-league contract with the historically bad Chicago White Sox before being released less than a month later to try his hand at pitching.

While some players can rebound after leaving the Bronx, some are left permanently broken, and Gallo is a prime example of that.

The spotlight in the Bronx also broke former Yankees starting pitcher Carl Pavano

Following the first Javier Vazquez debacle, the Yankees tried again to find a young frontline starter in the form of Carl Pavano, then 28 years old. Pavano was coming off a season with the Florida Marlins in which he posted a 3.00 ERA in 222.1 innings, igniting a bidding war between the Yankees and the hated Boston Red Sox for the righty's services.

Pavano's tenure in the Bronx was forgettable on the mound and memorable for what happened off of it. He would pitch just 145.2 innings over four years, with 100 coming in 2005, his first year with the team. He'd also miss time due to a litany of injuries, including a lengthy stint away from the club due to a bruised buttocks.

That injury may have sounded funny, but it certainly wasn't hilarious when he hid the fact that he was hurt in a car accident from the team until right before he was to be activated from the IL following a different malady. Simply put, after getting his pay day, Pavano couldn't handle the New York pressure.

After leaving the Yankees, he'd go on to be a workhorse for the Minnesota Twins, leading the league in complete games in 2010 while logging 221 innings and posting a 3.75 ERA, further proving that he was much better suited to perform away from the spotlight.

Sonny Gray's Yankees tenure proved he's a small town guy

Tennessee native Sonny Gray was a burgeoning ace when the Yankees traded for him back at the 2017 deadline. The then-27-year-old had a 3.43 ERA with the Oakland Athletics, thriving playing in a mostly empty ballpark.

While his performance down the stretch didn't look terrible with a 3.72 ERA, Yankee fans became accustomed to the baby-faced right-hander turning and watching balls sail over the wall, as his HR/9 more than doubled from 0.7 to 1.5 post-trade.

Things unraveled further in 2018, with Gray pitching so ineffectively he ended up being demoted from the starting rotation by August. He'd finish the year with a 4.90 ERA before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds that offseason.

Despite Cincinnati having an even less pitcher-friendly ball park, Gray returned to form in 2019, earning an All-Star nod and finishing seventh in the NL Cy Young voting on the strength of a 2.87 ERA.

Gray has continued his career with a midwest jaunt, succeeding with the Reds before also flourishing with the Minnesota Twins and, currently, the St. Louis Cardinals, further proving that he just couldn't handle performing on baseball's biggest stage.