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The Arizona Diamondbacks could be making a run at free agent pitcher Yovani Gallardo, according to ESPN.com.
The right-hander opted to decline the Texas Rangers' $15.8 million qualifying offer in order to explore the open market. The D-Backs are the first name to surface to be Gallardo’s new landing spot. The market for pitching is always thin and the nine-year veteran is coming off his best season in his MLB career and arguably entering the prime of his career.
Yovani Gallardo is on #Dbacks list of free agent pitching targets. They might not have $$ to sign Zimmermann or Cueto.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 14, 2015
Gallardo posted a solid 3.42 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 121/68 K/BB ratio over 184 1/3 innings this year, which is really good for an American League pitcher. The 29-year-old also pitched once in the postseason. He went 1-0 after allowing two runs on five innings pitched against the high-scoring Toronto Blue Jays. He’s certainly not a power pitcher but he’s shown that he could pitch against anybody.
After spending his first eight seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Gallardo joined the Rangers. He could be leaving a team that is coming off winning the AL West and only one game away from advancing to the ALCS. Even though he opted out, it doesn’t mean he won’t sign a longer deal with more money to stay in Texas although it appears as if he’ll be pitching for someone else next season.
"It was a lot to think about," Gallardo told ESPN.com. "I enjoyed being here and playing for Texas. It was one of those things that I was hoping would work out long-term. For whatever reason, it didn't."
The D-Backs finished four games below .500 and will still have to deal with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in front of them in order to get into the postseason. It was a 16-game improvement from 2014, which could mean that the team is heading in the right direction under first-year manager Chip Hale. In order to surpass the Giants and the Dodgers, Arizona will need to upgrade its pitching during Hale’s second season with the club. The D-Backs finished in the middle of the pack with a 4.04 team ERA while the Dodgers and Giants were fifth and ninth overall. Gallardo could be one piece to help out the pitching in Arizona.
Patrick Corbin will still be atop of the rotation with his 3.60 ERA. The left-hander is expected to be healthy and ready to roll for 2016 after making only 16 starts this season. Ruby De La Rosa has his ups and downs and is really a back-of-the-end starter. Robbie Ray has a lot of upside since the 24-year-old will only be entering his second full season in the big leagues. He finished 2015 with a stellar 3.52 ERA and 199 SO in over 127 2/3 innings pitched this season in 23 starts. Chase Anderson hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype at this point in his career. His ERA jumped up to 4.30 in his second big league season. He’s still expected to be in the rotation next year.
If Arizona can land Gallardo, it will vastly improve its rotation. It will have to pay a good amount and guarantee a few years in order to lure him away from Texas.
