Former Washington Nationals Slugger Listed as Intriguing Option in Free Agency
The Washington Nationals are heading into free agency looking to improve a young team that is in need some veteran leadership.
Despite winning just 71 games in 2024, the future is finally looking bright for the Nationals. Last year, they saw a lot of their talented young players in the majors making an impact.
Shortstop CJ Abrams was able to make his first All-Star team, and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. had an All-Star caliber season.
In the outfield, the young trio of Jacob Young, James Wood, and Dylan Crews closed out the season together. That group will likely be the starting outfield in 2025, and there is a lot of potential there.
While there was a lot to like about the lineup, there were some glaring holes at first base and third base. Washington didn’t get nearly the production needed from their last season, and there will be some changes made to both positions more than likely.
At first base, Joey Gallo got a good amount of playing time at the position, in addition to a couple of starts in the outfield. However, the results weren't great, as he hit .161 with 10 home runs.
The left-handed slugger has never been a high contact player, but he does have a lot of power when he does get a hold of one. Furthermore, the Nationals have decided to move on from Gallo, and he is a free agent this offseason.
Even though his time with Washington wasn’t very successful, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report highlighted that he could be an intriguing target for some teams.
“Despite a career strikeout rate of 38 percent and a sub-.180 batting average in each of the past three years, Gallo has hit at least 10 home runs in eight consecutive seasons. Someone is going to sign him for even less than the $5M the Washington Nationals paid him in 2024, hoping for at least a couple of moonshots for their trouble.”
For a team that is in need of some pop in their lineup from the left-hand side, Gallo could make sense as a bench player. While he is mostly a first baseman now, he can play the outfield if need be as well.
While Gallo likely won’t be receiving a big deal from anyone, he is an intriguing option for a couple of million on a one-year deal. Despite his limitations in terms of striking out, the slugger does possess a ton of power, which will always find him a job.
