The Reds have inked free agent right-hander Yovani Gallardo to a one-year major league contract, according to Robert Murray of FanRag Sports. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation confirms, tweeting that he’ll earn a guaranteed $750K, and his contract includes incentives that could boost the total value of the deal to $1MM. The club has optioned right-hander Zack Weiss to Triple-A in a corresponding move, and designated catcher Stuart Turner for assignment in order to make room on the 40-man roster.
It’s a quick turnaround for the 32-year-old Gallardo, who earlier this offseason settled for a partially-guaranteed contract with a Brewers organization that drafted and developed him. Soon after being informed that he wouldn’t make the team, Gallardo was released by Milwaukee.
After just five days back on the open market, the righty has found a new home with a rebuilding Reds organization that finds itself wondering when Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan might return to the rotation. The signing figures to push left-hander Cody Reed to the bullpen, leaving the club with a starting cast of Homer Bailey, Luis Castillo, Sal Romano, Tyler Mahle and Gallardo.
While Gallardo’s 5.57 ERA, 6.48 K/9 and 4.38 BB/9 across the past two seasons with the Orioles and Mariners represent rather uninspiring marks, the righty had long been an effective rotation piece for the Brewers and Rangers. Prior to 2016, his ERA had only exceeded 4.00 once in a full season, and according to Fangraphs his full-season WAR never dipped below 2.0 from 2009-2015. If he can regain some semblance of his former ground ball-inducing and hard contact-limiting ability, he could yet prove a steady presence in the Reds’ rotation.
Good vet who could teach starters
If he hits that million mark he is getting into Steve Adams territory.
Major League contract is the most surprising part of this. Reds must have liked Yo’s numbers in long relief.
as a brewers fan I am happy that he found a team
Watch him go scooter gennett on us
Yo is gonna hit 27 homers, or give up 27 homers? Your point is well taken, tho. Yo!
Maybe walk 27 hitters strikeout 27 hitters out. 6 dropped 3rd strike out. All 6 reach only for the next guy to K on 3 pitches. For he’d SO 24 batters in 6innings. Go a total of 7IP 27K 27BB..
Better than signing Lohse !
If he takes 1 start away from the Reds young pitchers it’s a waste. Reds are at the point they need to be giving young arms every opportunity, not throwing starts to retread 32 yr olds
I would have to agree the reds weren’t going to win this year so why not just see what the young kids have
Update: NO! No pushing anyone to the bullpen!
I mean we’ve been doing that for two years. We don’t has as much as we thought we have.
The past two years those we have/think we have were working their way up through the minors. Guys like Garrett, Reed, Mahle, and Stephenson weren’t ready yet for the majors. Rather than put them in the big leagues prematurely, sure, sign some people to bridge the gap. But now those people are at the big league level and need to be pitching. Whether they succeed or fail, it will at least give the reds perspective of where they are at
I really think the reds need to move homer bailey to the bullpen because he’s a pitching health hazard. So if the reds moved homer bailey to the pen it would keep another young starter in the rotation.
That will never happen! He’s to good for the bullpen! If you’re saying that the. There wouldn’t be enough starting pitchers as they should be every single picture in the bullpen that had Tommy John surgery! Bailey pitched great against the Nationals! The only problem as usual no run support!
what there baseball Homer he just saying that. without bullpen.
After he left Texas, the guy totally forgot how to pitch.
Yea!!!
2 no hitters @MLB.
#goodluckHomer
Check the ERA! Homer!
My guess is that the idea is that he replaces DeSclafani for now with the hope that in the next 2 months he build enough value to trade him for even a middle of the road prospect. I think they bring back Finnegan slowly – long relief, spot start and maybe a 6 man rotation every once in a while to keep the innings off the young guys. Bottom line – you can’t have too much pitching depth at the beginning of the season.
Perhaps seeing Votto everyday will help him pitch back to career norms. JV talks about the adjustments he makes to baseball as he ages and what hes 35 now and not slowing down one bit.
This bit of space filler would’ve fit better over the ghost town of an off season we just endured. Obviously I know the subject matter is pertinent to this point in time, but still. At first I thought the site might’ve been hacked
Yea!!!
2 no hitters @MLB.
#goodluckHomer