The Minnesota Twins signed Joey Gallo to a one-year/$11 million deal, and while he had a disappointing 2022 season, there’s still reason for optimism heading into 2023.

Yes, I know this offseason has been a disappointment, but we can still be optimistic, right? For this specific article, we’re not going to factor in other outside moves; aside from a potential Max Kepler trade.

The Twins needed to add a corner outfielder, and Gallo is their answer. Whether that’s the correct decision will be determined in a few months, but Gallo does bring some upside.

Last season, he did not play well for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. As soon as he was traded from the Texas Rangers, he struggled heavily on offense. Maybe these struggles can be chalked up to playing in a big market that tears players apart if they don’t play well.

From an optimistic standpoint, I’m going to say that this was the case. In August of 2022, Gallo opened up about his struggles:

Even with a fresh start in LA, I’m sure some of his mental struggles carried over.

If the Twins are adding 2021 Gallo, then they’ll be getting a 30+ home run hitter who could make the All-Star game. He’s only 29 years old, so getting to that mark shouldn’t be much of an issue.

If he’s not hitting home runs, he’s probably striking out. If you thought you were going to miss Miguel Sanó, don’t worry, Gallo could replicate similar numbers. According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, Gallo had the highest strikeout rate (39.8%) amongst players who had at least 300 plate appearances last season.

He has an A+ arm and is good defensively. Since 2019, he’s saved 37 runs, which ranks third in baseball amongst outfielders.

So now the question becomes, what does this mean for Kepler? It’s pretty much a guarantee he will be traded before the 2023 season.

Gallo is a left-handed hitter who plays the same position. Plus, Kepler is receiving plenty of trade interest from other teams. Fans have grown tired of watching Kepler hit weak ground balls to first base, and they may not have to watch it much longer.

I’m not sure what he would get you back in a trade, but it’s probably a reliever – you can never have too many of those.

Gallo has the potential of playing good defense and hitting 30-40 home runs. He probably won’t make an All-Star appearance, but it shouldn’t be out of the question. This signing also means the Twins can trade Kepler and get assets back in a deal.

There’s still a lot of work to do this offseason, but the Gallo addition should be viewed as an optimistic addition.