The White Sox aren’t done adding just yet.
The team announced on Thursday evening that veteran slugger Joey Gallo has agreed to terms on a minor league deal. The contract comes with a non-roster invite to Spring Training ahead of next week’s first full-squad workout.
Gallo, 31, has always been a polarizing player, no matter the fan base. Some will point to his career .194 batting average and be prepared to look in another direction. Others will point to his career .775 OPS and 14.6% walk rate and see a player who can cause damage and find ways to get on base, even if it’s not via a hit. Gallo is a three-true-outcome hitter, with 38% of his plate appearances ending in a strikeout, 14.6% ending in a walk, and 208 career home runs across 939 games. His best seasons came in Texas in 2017 and 2018 when he hit 41 and 40 homers, respectively.
He does one thing incredibly well which is pulling fly balls for home runs, something the White Sox severely lack. Rate Field can be a lefty’s paradise if they lift the ball to right field. That said, Gallo is coming off a stretch of pretty brutal campaigns. Most recently in Washington, Gallo slashed .161/.277/.336 with 10 homers and a 76 wRC+ across 76 games in 2024.
One other thing Gallo has historically done well is play strong outfield defense. Surprisingly, even though he stands at 6’5″ and 249 pounds, Gallo historically ranked well above average in Outs Above Average in right field, posting as many as +6 OAA in 2021 with the Rangers. He also posted +3 OAA at first base with the Nationals last season.
It’s not yet apparent whether or not Gallo will even make the roster. However, outside of Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn, the White Sox don’t have anyone who can leave the ballpark with consistency. Andrew Benintendi would be the next closest option, but his career high in home runs is still just 20.
Should he make the team, Gallo would bring power potential to a lineup that could use it. In addition, he would bring an answer to the question of Andrew Vaughn’s backup at first base while also serving as a strong outfield defender as needed.
It’s not necessarily a flashy move, but it certainly is one with some upside for Chris Getz, Will Venable, and Director of Hitting Chris Fuller.
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Featured Photo: © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
