Rangers nearing deal for Brewers' Yovani Gallardo

[neutral]

Big League Stew
Report: Rangers nearing deal for Brewers' Yovani Gallardo
Mark Townsend By Mark Townsend
1 hour ago
Big League Stew

While the Green Bay Packers command the attention of sports fans in Wisconsin, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is hard at work finalizing what would be a significant trade. 

According to Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal , the Brewers and Texas Rangers are nearing a deal that would send Yovani Gallardo, who attended high in Fort Worth, back to his home territory. There's no indication yet what Milwaukee would receive in return, but Rosenthal's colleague Jon Morosi says it won't be infielder Jurickson Profar.

Gallardo, 29 in February, would fill the Rangers obvious need for an innings eater behind Yu Darvish and a now healthy Derek Holland. In each of the last six seasons, Gallardo has made at least 30 starts and thrown at least 180 innings. His 89-64 record and 3.69 ERA were good enough to make him Milwaukee's ace over most of that time period, but he's probably more of a low-end No. 2 or really solid No. 3, which is where he'll slot in Texas.

Gallardo is set to enter free agency following the 2015 season, so we'll soon learn how his agent values him. There's already speculation that Texas is one place he'd like to play long term, which make sense given the connection. But his performance this season, especially early, could be the key determining factor. 

As for the Brewers game plan,  Joel Sherman of the New York Posts wonders if this could put Milwaukee in the running for Max Scherzer or James Shields.

- - - - - - -

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813

[easytopin]

Holy ^%$#&^*. I love Gallardo, trading will be a mistake. Whats next Packers trading Jordy Nelson?

[wrestle84]

Holy ^%$#&^*. I love Gallardo, trading will be a mistake. Whats next Packers trading Jordy Nelson?

He will be a free agent at the end of this season, I have no problem with the trade as long as they get value in return.

[Ghetto]

It needs to be front line talent. You don't give up pitching, especially a guy who has been consistent, for guys who are a few years away.

[easytopin]

They always do this to me...Gorman Thomas, Sixto Lezcano, Paul Molitor, now Gallardo...is Lucroy next

[littleguy301]

They always do this to me...Gorman Thomas, Sixto Lezcano, Paul Molitor, now Gallardo...is Lucroy next

Gorman and Sixto man those were some of my favorites also!!!!!!!! throw in Ben Olgive and you have the triple for me!!!!! Hey I also am a Mark Reynolds fan but I get that one by just letting him go.

I find this interesting because the brewers from what I understand do NOT have much in the minors as of pitching and losing some valuable relieve pitchers has me wondering. I liked the idea of Estrada for Lind but I certainly hope we get something valuable for Yovonni and something good that can step in right away!

[neutral]

I'm hoping it's to free up payroll ... to go after Shields ... (Scherzer signed with Washinton yesterday).

Also sounds like Washington is now shopping Strassburg.

[neutral]

Rangers Acquire Yovani Gallardo
By Edward Creech, Jeff Todd and Charlie Wilmoth [January 19, 2015 at 4:04pm CST]

The Rangers have acquired right-hander Yovani Gallardo from the Brewers. Going in return are a group of young players: infielder Luis Sardinas and righties Corey Knebel and Marcos Diplan. Milwaukee will pick up $4MM of Gallardo's salary, which will rise from $13MM to $14MM by operation of a clause in his contract.

Gallardo brings plenty of value with him to a Rangers rotation that has several question marks coming off of a rough overall 2014. Though he'll need to deliver all of it this season, as he qualifies for free agency after the year, Gallardo's Texas roots could make him an extension candidate. He will not turn 29 until February. And he has had a nice run of gobbling up innings, lodging the sixth-most in the game over the last six years. Reuniting with his former pitching coach, Mike Maddux, probably does not hurt Gallardo's outlook.

In terms of performance, Gallardo has had his ups and downs but is undoubtedly a quality arm. He registered a career-low 6.8 K/9 last year, though he posted career-bests with a 3.51 ERA and 2.5 BB/9. In terms of advanced statistics, the view was that 2014 was more of an average year for the veteran. His FIP (3.94), xFIP (3.64), and SIERA (3.78) were generally in line with his career norms.

For Milwaukee, the trade brings some much-needed young blood into the system and gave the team an opportunity to cash in on an expiring asset in Gallardo. While the trio of prospects that were acquired all come with questions, they also deliver talent and plenty of years of control, and should begin contributing in the immediate future.

Sardinas, 21, struggled in a 2014 season split between Double-A, Triple-A and the Majors (posting a .281 average in the minors, but with a .302 OBP and .364 OBP), but he was young for all three levels and still rates as one of the Rangers' better young players. The question remains whether Sardinas can hit enough to become a MLB starter, or whether he will instead top out as a utility infielder. But of the three players in the deal, he is the only one to crackBaseball America's top-ten list, with Knebel (17) and Diplan (22) landing further down the line.
On the other hand, Knebel makes an appearance in the eighth slot on MLB.com's latest ranking of the pre-trade Texas rotation. Knebel, who came to the Rangers along with Jake Thompson in last summer's Joakim Soria deal, was taken 39th overall in the 2013 draft an reached the bigs in 2014. The 23-year-old is a pure reliever, but was fairly dominant in the upper minors (2.18 ERA, 12.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 4.6 H/9) in 45 1/3 frames last year and showed the ability to miss big league bats with 11 strikeouts in his brief 8 2/3 inning stint.

MLB.com also saw Diplan as one of the Rangers' twenty best young players, albeit barely. An undersized righty, the 18-year-old nevertheless landed a $1.3MM bonus as a July 2 player. He was effective last year in the Dominican Summer League, but remains a good distance from a major league roster and is far and away the most volatile asset in this deal.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post theorizes a Gallardo trade could make Milwaukee players for James Shields, noting the Brewers are in a strong position to make a big play as they will shed $47MM in salary, including Gallardo's $13MM, after 2015 (Twitter links). This line of thinking is strengthened by Milwaukee's dearth of MLB rotation depth as Doug Melvin alsotraded swingman Marco Estrada in November for Adam Lind. Outside of their current projected rotation (Kyle Lohse, Wily Peralta, Matt Garza, Mike Fiers, and Jimmy Nelson), only three other pitchers on the Brewers' 40-man roster have started a Major League game and two of them, Tyler Thornburg (elbow) and Johnny Hellweg (Tommy John surgery), missed most of 2014 with injuries. A third, Will Smith (17 starts with the Royals from 2012-13) is slated to resume his setup role in the bullpen.

This should make for an interesting week in Milwaukee as the Brewers gear up for their annual fan fest "On Deck" next weekend. It was this time one year ago, the Brewers signed Garza to the largest free agent contract (four years, $50MM) in franchise history. A deal for Shields would shatter that mark. The Brewers, however, could decide to invest the Gallardo cost savings into strengthening their bullpen by re-signing Francisco Rodriguez, who saved 44 games for the club last year. This approach would allow Milwaukee to stretch Smith out during Spring Training creating that much needed rotation depth while preserving some payroll flexibility.

[easytopin]

Geez Texas couldn't send a box of doughnuts along with these clunkers.  A middle infielder with zero pop and walks once a month, an oft injured middle reliever who throws hard when he is not on the disabled list, and an 18 year diminutive pitcher who averages 6 walks a game. I guess that puts us over the top.

[Ghetto]

I like the switch hitting shortstop. He's young and gets on base more than Segura does. I think the Brewers are worried that Segura is going to ask for big (unwarranted) money and they just found his replacement.

The thing that really bothers me is the $4mil that the Brewers have to eat. It makes the rest of the deal look even worse. We got some guys who won't make the roster next year, AND we had to pay? That hurts.

The Brewers also said they weren't in on the Shields sweepstakes, which is why I thought they dealt Gallardo in the first place. Ugh.

[wrestle84]

I have to think the Brewers could have gotten more by waiting until the trade deadline this summer. This was a straight up salary dump and they still have to pay 4 mil.

[littleguy301]

While the players they got are very young, give them time to devolope. It could be a situations that Yovonni wasnt going to stay so better get something for him now or maybe it is a rent a player for a year and the Brewers have a chance to get him back. Some many things that we know nothing about in these trades that swing the trade in a certain way.

I also have questions about the pitching staff, I trust the people that know more than me to make these choices and maybe they think the young pitchers we have are going to really step it up this year and be a sound staff.

Though I am still scratching my head but I am excited for the season to start

[neutral]

While the players they got are very young, give them time to devolope. It could be a situations that Yovonni wasnt going to stay so better get something for him now or maybe it is a rent a player for a year and the Brewers have a chance to get him back. Some many things that we know nothing about in these trades that swing the trade in a certain way.

I also have questions about the pitching staff, I trust the people that know more than me to make these choices and maybe they think the young pitchers we have are going to really step it up this year and be a sound staff.

Though I am still scratching my head but I am excited for the season to start

x 2

[boowrestle]

They ate 4mil thats chump change they saved the 10mil that texas has to pay and now have gotten  minor leagers and freed up $$ to go out and sign Jordan Zimmerman(way better upside than yovanni!!).As long as they sign Zimmerman,this is a great deal!!!

[easytopin]

And now we sign Dontrelle Willis......he's only pitched with thirteen different teams in the last ten years including semi club teams. I guess he will take Gallardo's place in the rotation. He wanted to sign with the Brewers because its within driving distance from his house. I smell CY Young award winner.