On Sunday, Chicago White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin announced the White Sox had released slugger Joey Gallo. On the surface, this decision makes a lot of sense.
Gallo has struggled tremendously over the last three seasons. The slugger hasn’t hit over .200 in a single season since 2019. This spring, he’s hitting .100 in 20 at-bats. Even the historically bad White Sox can’t justify giving Gallo an opportunity to continue hitting.
But this story is so much deeper.
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Shortly after the release was announced, Gallo made a post to Twitter/X saying goodbye to the outfield and revealing that he was converting to a pitcher.
A little bit later, Merkin revealed the entire story. Gallo requested his release from the White Sox in order to pursue a career as a pitcher. It’s unclear whether the White Sox would have released him without the request.
Gallo is known for his strong arm. Prior to playing professional baseball, he was a tremendous two-way player. The slugger routinely ran his fastball north of 90 miles per hour in high school, and we can only assume his arm has gotten stronger over the last decade or so.
But pitching isn’t easy. It’s been over a decade since Gallo pitched in a real baseball game, so it likely won’t be a smooth transition to the mound.
Having the background as a pitcher gives him a head start, though. As of now, there aren’t any teams showing interest in signing Gallo, but it’ll likely take a few months before we see if this idea has a chance to get off the ground.
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