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This New York Yankees All-Star Created a LinkedIn Page to Find Other Jobs — Here's Why

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Major League Baseball's labor dispute doesn't appear to have an end in sight, and some ballplayers are preparing for a summer without the American pastime.

At least one, New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Joey Gallo, is even readying himself for the job application process.

On Monday, Gallo announced the creation of his new LinkedIn profile, advertising his resume for the consideration of employers everywhere. "I'm new here," he wrote on Twitter, sharing screenshots of his LinkedIn page.

To be clear, the very real LinkedIn profile appears to have been created in jest. It could even be interpreted as a searing indictment of the months-long negotiations between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the league's 30 team owners.

On Tuesday evening, team owners and players reached an impasse on a new labor deal after a months-long lockout that will now derail the start of the upcoming season. MLB's team owners and the league's players association did not finalize a deal before a 5 p.m. ET deadline set by the league, and MLB announced the cancellation of the first week of regular-season games as a result.

The lockout has lasted since early December. Players have repeatedly accused the owners of refusing to negotiate in good faith over the last three months, and the league announced Tuesday that players won't get paid for cancelled games.

The players' union has stated plans to fight for backpay, but it's not exactly surprising that some players would feel the need to secure backup employment plans. Or, like Gallo, raise awareness over the possibility of finding jobs elsewhere — perhaps as a message that the players won't accept what they view as substandard labor deal offers.

Under "Experience," the 29-year-old Gallo's LinkedIn profile lists his role as an "Outfielder" with the New York Yankees, from July 2021 until the present, as well as a previous stint in the outfield with the Texas Rangers organization starting in June 2012.

The two-time All-Star pokes fun at himself in his profile, listing his "skills" as "striking out," "hitting into the shift" and "getting dressed weird," an apparent reference to recent media criticism he received for the superstitious way he dons a baseball uniform.

Gallo did, in fact, lead MLB with 213 strikeouts in 2021. But his other baseball skills, including elite hitting power and defensive prowess that's earned him two Gold Glove awards, make it hard to imagine a better employer for him than a MLB team.

Still, a few media professionals responded to Gallo's announcement with offers to become a podcast host, just in case baseball doesn't work out.

Assuming the MLB season eventually starts up, continuing his baseball career is probably the bet bet for Gallo's finances. He has earned more than $18.2 million in his career, to date, and was slated to earn $9.5 million this upcoming season with the Yankees, according to Spotrac.

It remains to be seen how much of that salary will be prorated, depending on how many games get played.

Gallo isn't the first professional athlete with a profile on LinkedIn. Other athletes on the networking platform include NBA stars like Stephen Curry and Spencer Dinwiddie, both of whom tout their off-the-court entrepreneurial ventures on their profiles.

Unheralded NFL quarterback John Wolford joked in 2021 that he might delete his LinkedIn profile if his stint as the Los Angeles Rams' interim starting quarterback proved successful. Wolford recently won a Super Bowl ring as the Rams' backup quarterback. A LinkedIn profile advertising his finance experience is still active, as of Wednesday morning.

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