Veteran 1B/OF Joey Gallo was sidelined for the Washington Nationals from June 12th to August 20th last season due to a left hamstring strain, but the 30-year-old veteran received a one-year/5 million contract. Signed to a $20 contract (mutual option for 2025) last offseason, he returned just over the last month and hit five of his 10 home runs on the year in 30 games, up from five home runs in 46 games before the injury. .
“That’s the Joey Gallo I’ve seen for years,” Nats captain Davey Martinez said after Gallo hit three runs on September 3.
“I hope it’s a really good month, not just for us but for him as well. He had an injury so he worked hard to get back.
“When he starts hitting the ball like that, it usually comes in bunches, so it was good to see.”
Gallo missed 59 games on the IL, but his condition deteriorated in the final stages.[r]Since returning from rehab on August 20, he has reached base in 16 of his last 24 starts, and “five of his last eight hits were home runs,” but the power the 10-year veteran showed Nevertheless, the inevitable happened. This week, the Nationals decided not to terminate the 25-year mutual option included in Gallo’s contract.
The Nationals declined Joey Gallo’s 2025 mutual option.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 3, 2024
Gallo signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, batting .177/.301/.440 with nine doubles, 21 home runs, 48 walks, and 142 K in 111 at-bats before heading to DC in hopes of making a comeback. I signed it. He appeared in games and had a total of 332 at-bats, in which he had an fWAR of 0.8.
Gallo hit .161/.277/.336 with nine doubles, 10 HR, 32 walks, and 102 K in 76 games and 260 PA with an fWAR of -0.2 for the Nationals.
When Gallo returned to action in August, “he wanted to be better,” Martinez said. “I know that, but he’s always been a military man.”
“I know he’s frustrated. I know he wanted to do more and probably would have done more if he was healthy.
“We expected him to play good defense, and he did that and hit some home runs for us, but injuries keep him from fully moving forward. It was.”
Gallo’s decision is just one of several roster changes the Nationals have announced in recent days.
The Nationals made the following changes to their roster.
– Returned Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray and Mason Thompson from the 60-day injured list.
-Joey Meneses cleared full waivers and was assigned to Triple-A.
Rochester. Meneses is eligible as a minor league free agent and…— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 4, 2024
“The Nationals made the following roster changes.
“We have returned Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray and Mason Thompson from the 60-day injured list.
“Joey Meneses has cleared full waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Rochester. Meneses is eligible for minor league free agency and is currently a free agent.
“Michael Rucker has cleared full waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Rochester. As a previously fully assigned player, Rucker had the option to declare free agency and did so.
“Ildemaro Vargas has cleared full waivers. As a player who has been in the major leagues for more than five years, he had the option to declare free agency, and he did so.
The club’s 40-man roster currently stands at 36 players.
