At this point of the offseason, you’ve already read just about every “list of possible suitors for Player X” that you could possibly consume: Did you hear that Team X is potentially setting up a Zoom call to discuss their conceivable interest in Player Y? But part of the fun of dreaming up theoretical destinations for players is the nostalgia factor: Who could go back from whence they came?

That’s to say: There are a number of players on the market who left their original teams, peddled their wares elsewhere and now could end up being a fit for the team they once left. They say you can’t go home again. But of course you can. Obviously you can.

Let’s imagine these players and teams being reunited … and it feels so good. (Note: This is not based on any reporting I’ve done, but rather how much fun it would be to see.)

Joey Gallo to the Rangers
Gallo’s career OPS for the Rangers? .833. His career OPS for the Yankees and the Dodgers? .663. Gallo has hit at least 38 homers three times in his career, and while it sure looks like he’s never going to get the strikeouts under control, and that .253 average he posted in 2019 looks like an all-timer of an aberration, the guy can still hit the dickens out of the ball (and can still play a little defense, too). The Rangers need some outfielders. Gallo needs to get back to a place where he’s comfortable. The fit is pretty obvious here.

Evan Longoria to the Rays
All right, this fit isn’t quite as obvious. The Rays don’t really need a third baseman or a designated hitter — though they could find Longoria some at-bats at DH or even first base — and Longoria hasn’t played more than 129 games in a season since he left St. Petersburg. But come on: Longoria, by nearly every statistical measure, is by far the best player in Rays history, the guy who represented the turnaround this franchise experienced when they got rid of the “Devil” in their name. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see him in that jersey again?