Dodgers are making mistake giving Joey Gallo postseason roster spot

The Los Angeles Dodgers will carry 13 position players on their NLDS roster, and it’s already been determined Joey Gallo will be one of them. Manager Dave Roberts said so after Tuesday’s action against the Colorado Rockies.

Why? Not sure. Most LA fans aren’t exactly on board with this because that means someone like Miguel Vargas could be excluded when he’d offer a much more worthwhile spark than Gallo, who’s officially returned to his level of awful play with the Yankees. In 44 games with the Dodgers, Gallo is hitting just .162 with a .671 OPS, 83 OPS+, seven home runs, 23 RBI and 57 strikeouts.

Though his homers and RBI are up, his walks are down and everything else is essentially the same. We’d be remiss not to mention some of this production came against position players on the mound, so, in totality, it’s not really what you want.

Gallo’s been good for a 0.2 WAR this season. His defensive versatility has been nice, but how useful is it if he’s a non-factor at the plate? Are the Dodgers comfortable with gambling that he’ll “run into one” every once in a while, even though he’s been proven to fold in high-pressure situations?

Many would argue Gallo’s inclusion on the NLDS roster doesn’t give the Dodgers the best shot to win. Vargas might be more valuable. Hell, what about James Outman?!

The Dodgers are making the wrong move giving Joey Gallo an NLDS roster spot

To top it all off, Roberts said the Dodgers “have to figure out” how to deploy Gallo once the postseason arrives. Isn’t that … not the point of this? Shouldn’t everyone already on the playoff roster have a defined role, especially someone like Gallo, who has eight years of MLB experience?

He’s not a starter. He’s probably the second-worst bench player with Hanser Alberto grabbing the honors for worst … but at least Alberto can play upwards of five positions, is an energetic presence in the clubhouse, and is hitting a respectable .350 with a .981 OPS in 21 plate appearances with two outs and runners in scoring position!

If it came down to it, arguing value between Gallo and Alberto is kind of a waste of time. The Dodgers already have many outfielders in Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Trayce Thompson, Chris Taylor and Gavin Lux (if need be). Taylor and Lux will also be available to snag infield reps.

Fans are just wondering the point of Gallo if he can’t hit, can’t pinch run and can’t provide a spark. His inclusion on the roster is the closest you can come to wasting a postseason bench spot.

The hope is that the Dodgers escape the NLDS and learn from this mistake. Should Gallo keep up his lackluster play and/or not garner enough playing time to justify a spot on the roster and the Dodgers advance, he shouldn’t be around for the NLCS.

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