Notes and quotes on the start of the 2024-25 offseason and the Nationals’ first moves…
A left hamstring strain kept veteran 1B/OF Joey Gallo out of the Washington Nationals’ lineup between June 12th and August 20th this past season, but the 30-year-old veteran, who signed a 1-year/$5M contract (with a mutual option for 2025) last offseason, returned in the last month-plus and hit 5 of his 10 home runs on the year in 30 games after he’d hit five in 46 before the injury.
“That’s the Joey Gallo I’ve seen for years,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said after a three-run blast by Gallo on September 3rd.
“I hope that he has a really good month, not just for us, but for him. Because he had some injuries, he worked really hard to get back.
Joey Gallo makes it a 4-run 8th inning for the @Nationals pic.twitter.com/feDGgCp1P7
— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2024
“When he starts hitting the ball like that, they usually come in bunches. So it was good to see.”
Gallo missed 59 games on the IL, but he went on a run down the stretch and he, “[r]eached base in 16 of his last 24 starts after returning from rehab on August 20,” and a full, “five of his final eight hits were home runs,” but in spite of the power the 10-year veteran displayed, the inevitable happened this week, as the Nationals decided to decline their end of the mutual option for ‘25 included in Gallo’s deal.
The Nationals have declined the 2025 Mutual Option for Joey Gallo.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 3, 2024
Gallo signed on in D.C. looking to bounce back after he wrapped up a 1-year/$11M deal with Minnesota’s Twins with a .177/.301/.440 line, nine doubles, 21 homers, 48 walks, and 142 Ks in 111 games and a total of 332 plate appearances, over which he was worth 0.8 fWAR.
Gallo ended up with a .161/.277/.336 line, nine doubles, the 10 HRs, 32 walks, and 102 Ks in 76 games and 260 PAs for the Nationals, in which he was worth -0.2 fWAR.
“He was hoping it would be a lot better for him,” Martinez said once Gallo was back in the lineup in August, “I know that, but he’s been a trooper.”
“I know he’s been frustrated. He wanted to do more, and I know if he was healthy he probably would have done more.
“We just looked at him to play good defense, which he did, hit some home runs for us, and just couldn’t quite get going because of the injuries.”
The decision on Gallo was just one of the roster moves the Nationals announced in the past few days:
The Nationals made the following roster moves:
-Reinstated Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, and Mason Thompson from the 60-day Injured List.
-Joey Meneses cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A
Rochester. Meneses is eligible for Minor League free agency and…— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 4, 2024
“The Nationals made the following roster moves:
“-Reinstated Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, and Mason Thompson from the 60-day Injured List.
“-Joey Meneses cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Rochester. Meneses is eligible for Minor League free agency and is now a free agent.
Joey Meneses wins the game for the @Nationals! #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/eDcTapoiLA
— MLB (@MLB) April 20, 2024
“-Michael Rucker cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Rochester. As a player with a prior outright assignment, Rucker had the option to declare free agency and he has done so.
“-Ildemaro Vargas cleared outright waivers. As a player with more than five years of Major League Service, he had the option to declare free agency and he has done so.
The club’s 40-Man roster now stands at 36.