Joey Gallo didn't exactly work out in New York, and he knows it.
While the slugging outfielder was largely the same player by his hitting profile that he was in Texas, the 2021 trade deadline acquisition made it just over a year in pinstripes after being shipped off to the Dodgers during the trade deadline on Tuesday.
Following the Yankees' acquisition of Andrew Benintendi, Gallo's time in the Big Apple ran thin, and even he knew it. In just the absolute saddest interview with NJ.com's Randy Miller, Gallo opened up on his struggles in New York, including feeling like a "piece of s—," and hitting "rock bottom" as a major league ballplayer.
I went through a lot of adversity and I really had to question myself a lot. My confidence suffered. I would say I hit rock bottom for the big leagues. So for me, I just was trying to remember to be a good teammate, play the game the right way, play the game hard and not do something stupid that I’d regret. I learned a lot about myself, I guess. Baseball is a tough game. But it definitely made me stronger because not many people have gone through what I’ve gone through. …
I don’t want to say names. Kansas City guys reached out to me over the weekend. A bunch of guys. It makes me feel like a piece of s—, honestly. I remember playing here with the Rangers, watching [Yankees] get booed off the field and thinking, ‘Holy s—, I feel bad for that guy.’ Now it’s me. I do appreciate people reaching out, but it makes me feel like I’m a problem.
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In totality, credit to Gallo for being candid and self-aware after he admittedly hit "rock bottom" as a major leaguer. Baseball is a game of humans, after all, and it's refreshing, albeit a tad upsetting, to see players go through tough times and open up like this.
In return, the Yankees got Double-A pitcher Clayton Beeter, who profiles as a reliever at the MLB-level.
Gallo joins a stacked Dodgers team vying for a World Series, so maybe there's a happy ending for him in the cards.
