Gallo: Twins 'more my vibe' after rocky Yankees stint

Minnesota Twins outfielder Joey Gallo is excited for a fresh start after a bumpy tenure with the New York Yankees.

"The Minnesota market is different than the New York market. The Texas market is different than the New York market," Gallo told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. "I always just wanted to play baseball, have fun, hang out with the boys. That's my goal, just to play baseball and win games. I don't really like it being more than that.

"I guess this is more my vibe, you know what I mean?"

Gallo signed a one-year, $11-million contract with the Twins this winter. The 29-year-old is projected to be Minnesota's left fielder this season alongside Byron Buxton in center and Max Kepler in right.

Gallo spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees after he was acquired from the Texas Rangers in 2021. He struggled mightily during his time in New York, registering a .660 OPS with 25 home runs and 46 RBIs across 140 games. The Yankees dealt Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2022 trade deadline.

Gallo admitted his stint in New York made him question his love for the game and whether he wanted to continue.

"I think every baseball player at some point is like, 'I don't know if I want to do this shit anymore.' It's a tough game," Gallo said.

He added, "I tried to handle it well. I took pride in the fact that I still played. I was still diving for the Yankees, running into walls for the Yankees, running hard for the Yankees."

Gallo is a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. He hit 40-plus home runs with the Rangers in consecutive campaigns in 2017 and 2018. The slugger owns a lifetime .794 OPS with 177 home runs in 752 games.