Gallo announced Sunday via social media that he plans to make a full-time transition to pitching.
Gallo requested, and was granted, his release from the White Sox on Sunday after going 2-for-20 with 11 strikeouts in nine games during spring training. The 32-year-old primarily played first base during his time with the Nationals last season, but he showcased elite arm strength when he played more of the outfield earlier in his career. Chicago wasn't willing to hold onto him as he transitioned to pitching, so Gallo will have to hope he can show enough potential on the mound to latch on somewhere else.
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Joey Gallo: Let go by South Siders
Rotowire
The White Sox released Gallo on Sunday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
Gallo linked up with the White Sox on a minor-league deal in mid-February after the Nationals declined his $8 million mutual option for the 2025 season. He struggled in nine spring outings, going 2-for-20 with one walk and one RBI while striking out 11 times. Gallo is now a free agent after being granted his unconditional release by the White Sox, and the 31-year-old could struggle to catch on with another club ahead of Opening Day.
Gallo signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Gallo has a skills profile that has produced extreme results throughout his career, and he's struck out at least 39 percent of the time in each of the last three seasons. He's still capable of producing plenty of power, exhibited by ISO marks of at least .175 in the same three-year span. Gallo now finds his way to a roster that has plenty of opportunity, with his best chance for playing time seemingly coming in right field or at designated hitter.
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Joey Gallo: Washington declines option
Rotowire
The Nationals declined their portion of Gallo's $8 million mutual option for 2025 on Sunday.
Gallo signed with Washington over the winter and delivered a career-worst .613 OPS with 10 homers in 76 games. He struck out 102 times in 260 plate appearances and could have a difficult time securing a big-league contract for 2025.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Sitting against left-hander
Rotowire
Gallo is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
It's southpaw Ranger Suarez on the bump for the Phillies, so the lefty-hitting Gallo will begin the festivities on the bench. Juan Yepez is playing first base for the Nationals while Stone Garrett gets a start at designated hitter.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Taking seat against lefty
Rotowire
Gallo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Gallo will ride the pine with a lefty (Shota Imanaga) starting for the opposition, which is standard procedure whenever the Nationals face a southpaw. The 30-year-old Gallo has logged just 60 plate appearances against lefties this season, slashing .123/.167/.246.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Blasts ninth home run
Rotowire
Gallo went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Cubs.
Gallo broke the game open with his homer off Keegan Thompson in the sixth inning. Gallo has five hits in the month of September, four of which have been home runs. With nine homers this season, Gallo is one away from extending his streak of 10 or more that dates back to 2017.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Smacks three-run homer
Rotowire
Gallo went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run Thursday's loss to the Cubs.
Gallo jumped on a hanging sinker from Drew Smyly in the top of the sixth and launched it into the stands for a three-run shot to give Washington a 6-5 lead. It marked the veteran slugger's third home run this month and the second in his last four games. However, he's still batting a putrid .086 (3-for-35) in September with seven RBI and three runs scored.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Idle Thursday
Rotowire
Gallo isn't in Washington's lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Gallo's two home runs since the start of September represent the only hits he's tallied in his last 32 at-bats, so the Nats will sit him down Thursday in an effort to find more production at the plate. Juan Yepez will fill in as Washington's first baseman and bat seventh.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Idle against lefty
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Gallo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Gallo will sit for the second time in the three-game series while the Mets send another southpaw (Jose Quintana) to the hill. Juan Yepez will replace Gallo at first base.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Idle against lefty
Rotowire
Gallo is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
After starting in each of the Nationals' previous four games, the lefty-hitting Gallo will head to the bench while Washington takes on southpaw Sean Manaea in the series opener at Citi Field. Juan Yepez will enter the lineup in Gallo's stead, occupying first base while batting third.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Sitting against southpaw
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Gallo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
Though he'll take a seat against southpaw Max Fried in the series finale, the lefty-hitting Gallo looks to have recaptured a strong-side platoon role. Gallo has started in each of the Nationals' six matchups with right-handed pitchers in September, though he's mustered just one hit and three walks in 16 at-bats on the month.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Resting Thursday
Rotowire
Gallo isn't in the Nationals' lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.
Gallo will take a seat for Thursday's series opener after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Wednesday's loss to the Marlins. Juan Yepez will start at first base instead and bat third.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Cranks three-run homer
Rotowire
Gallo went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Tuesday's 6-2 victory over the Marlins.
Gallo widened Washington's lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning, smacking a first-pitch fastball from Max Meyer over the center field wall for a three-run homer. It's Gallo's sixth homer of the year and his first since June 3 -- he'd gone just 8-for-41 (.195) in his prior 16 contests. Overall, Gallo's slashing .172/.291/.331 with 17 RBI, 20 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases across 199 plate appearances in a part-time role this season.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Hitting bench Sunday
Rotowire
Gallo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Since coming off the injured list Aug. 20, the lefty-hitting Gallo has started in each of the Nationals' six games against right-handed pitching, but he's found himself on the bench for every matchup with lefties. Gallo has produced a .613 OPS since his return from the IL and is slashing just .170/.292/.315 for the season, so despite his regular usage against right-handers of late, he could wind up losing out on some of those starts down the stretch if the Nationals choose to open up more at-bats for Juan Yepez or Andres Chaparro at first base and designated hitter.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Back on bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Gallo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
Gallo will return to the bench after he had started in three of the Nationals' previous four games while going 2-for-14 with one walk against six strikeouts. In the wake of prospect Dylan Crews' recent call-up from Triple-A Rochester, Gallo no longer appears to have a path to regular playing time in right field and will instead have to settle for part-time work at first base and designated hitter as part of a rotation with Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro.
Nationals' Joey Gallo: Filling in for injured Call
Rotowire
Gallo will start in right field and bat seventh in Sunday's game against Atlanta, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Since returning from the injured list Tuesday, Gallo has started in four of the Nationals' ensuing six games. He'll be making his second start in a row in right field, where he'll be filling in for Alex Call (foot), who was placed on the injured list Saturday. Though Call's injury could put him at risk of missing extended time, Gallo won't necessarily have a clear path to a full-time role for the rest of the season. The Nationals are set to call up prospect Dylan Crews from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, and he could move between right field and center field while poaching starts from Gallo and Jacob Young.
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Nationals' Joey Gallo: Drives in run in Wednesday's start
Rotowire
Gallo went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Rockies.
Getting his first start since coming off the IL on Monday, Gallo handled first base and batted eighth, and he drove in the Nationals' first run of the night in the second inning with a one-out double. Juan Yepez has a .194/.250/.258 slash line in August, which could open the door for Gallo to see semi-consistent playing time, but the 30-year-old is a free agent in the offseason and almost certainly won't be in the team's future plans.
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