Yovani Gallardo is finally a Baltimore Oriole. The parties have agreed to a restructured deal as of Wednesday afternoon. The deal will guarantee Gallardo $22 million over two years. As reported by Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal, the deal includes an option that would bring the total value of the deal to $33 million, and also includes a $2 million buyout clause. Gallardo will join a rotation in desperate need of reinforcements and should provide manager Buck Showalter with some stability, if not a front-end presence.
Orioles Restructure Gallardo’s Deal
A full four days ago, the team and Gallardo agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal to bring the twenty-nine year-old (he will be thirty on Saturday) to Baltimore and the gauntlet that the American League East is likely to be this year. However, reports surfaced Tuesday evening that a physical exam had revealed a shoulder issue, which put the signing in jeopardy. Eventually, the sides agreed to restructure Gallardo’s deal.
Gallardo’s new battery mates include fellow right-handers Chis Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Miguel Gonzalez, and Ubaldo Jimenez. Vance Worley, the team’s fifth starter, will likely be pushed to the bullpen due to Gallardo’s presence.
Gallardo had spent his entire career in the National League, with the Milwaukee Brewers, prior to the 2015 season. While he posted a strong year overall, his strikeout rate declined for the third consecutive season, which likely played into Baltimore’s concerns over his shoulder. However, because he is an innings-eater (over 180 innings pitched in each of the past four seasons) and has still been turning in solid seasons, Baltimore was keen to restructure rather than backing out entirely.
Last season, pitching for the Texas Rangers, Gallardo won eleven games and recorded a 3.42 ERA. Had his strikeout numbers not declined so drastically, 2015 could easily have been considered the best year of his career. His ERA represented a career-low over a full season, and he graded out at a 4.1 WAR, the highest of any of his nine seasons. The Orioles must hope the his should doesn’t prevent him from replicating those results.
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