SAN FRANCISCO -- Joey Gallo wishes his time in New York would’ve been different. After being a splashy acquisition from the Rangers last July, the two-time All-Star didn’t produce with the Yankees. 

Gallo led the Majors in strikeouts in '21. This season, he was hitting .159 and was striking out in nearly half of his at-bats. The outfielder was booed on a nightly basis at Yankee Stadium and was relegated to a bench role.

Leading up to the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline, Gallo knew his time with the Yankees was over. In fact, Gallo started to cheat the Yankees’ no-beards rule, arriving at Oracle Park with a noticeable beard.

What he didn’t know, however, is that he would get traded to the Dodgers, a team he grew up watching as a kid in Las Vegas. Gallo said it was hard leaving his former teammates, but a situation he looks forward to. He needed a fresh start. He’ll get one in Los Angeles.

“My time in New York didn’t go as well as I wanted it to,” Gallo said. “Obviously I wish I played better. … If you don't play well, they look for somebody else to take that job and do it. But I think it’s nice to get a fresh start and a new clubhouse and a new place on the other side of the country, completely. And just get back to playing baseball again and trying to win games for the Dodgers.”

Over the last week, the Dodgers had been looking for a left-handed bat. They were interested in outfielder David Peralta, who was ultimately traded to the Rays. They were also heavily in the mix for superstar Juan Soto, but the Padres won those sweepstakes.

Despite missing on other targets, the Dodgers felt confident in their ability to tap into Gallo’s skillset. A fresh start away from New York is also something the Dodgers are banking on.

“Baseball’s hard,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “And so the mind helps the performance. So my hope, our hope is that having a fresh start, having clarity, being open to the Dodgers will tap into that talent that he does have and prove for performance. So there’s certainly an exhale and joy to be out of New York, nothing against the Yankees.”

Gallo was happy to see some familiar faces inside the clubhouse. He shares an agent with Cody Bellinger and the two have built a relationship over the years, primarily while playing video games and working out. He’s also in multiple group chats with Gavin Lux. Hanser Alberto played with Gallo as Minor Leaguers in the Rangers’ system.

Alberto even took to Twitter to predict that the Dodgers were going to “fix” the slugger.

“He’s a tremendous clubhouse guy and baseball player,” Alberto told MLB.com in Spanish. “He works hard. The coaches here are super smart, we have a lot of technology and there’s a chance he produces like the Gallo of old. Let’s hope that’s the case. He’s always going to work hard and that’s the important part.”

As Gallo gets comfortable with his new team, figuring out his role will be the next step for the Dodgers. Roberts said he sees him in the lineup against right-handed pitching, though Gallo wasn’t in the starting lineup on Wednesday against right-hander Alex Cobb. Gallo has a .699 OPS against right-handers this season. It drops to .390 against southpaws.

He’ll play left field on defense, a position he plays really well. He’ll split time with Trayce Thompson and James Outman. Once Chris Taylor, who is rehabbing with Triple-A Oklahoma City, returns to the lineup, the Dodgers will have some interesting decisions to make on how to divide up playing time.

“Obviously as a hitter it’s never fun to not hit well,” Gallo said. “For me, I tried to see it as a growing experience, a learning experience. Obviously I want to get back being a threat at the plate again and doing damage. But I think I learned a lot about myself in growing through those struggles. I want to be a good hitter, though. I definitely need to hit a little better.”

The Dodgers are hoping for that, too.