The Twins have signed former St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A St. Paul, as announced on Tuesday. After being designated for assignment by the Cardinals and going unclaimed on waivers, Gallegos, who turns 33 this month, will seek to rejuvenate his career with Minnesota.
Gallegos made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2017 before being traded to St. Louis the following summer. In 2019, he emerged as a key bullpen asset for the Cardinals, recording a 2.31 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 74 innings. He continued to be effective in the subsequent seasons, with a 3.02 ERA in 2021 and a 3.05 mark in 2022. Although he never made an All-Star team, his performance from 2019 to 2022 was highly impressive.
Giovanny Gallegos NL reliever ranks from 2019-2022:
228 IP (1st)
2.84 ERA (4th)
2.83 FIP (5th)
0.89 WHIP (1st)
.179 Opp Avg (3rd)
5.8 fWAR (3rd)He was one of the better relievers in baseball in his first 4 years as a Cardinal. Lots of great moments. I wish him the best 🇲🇽🙏 pic.twitter.com/NZaQNtwL6r
— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@STL_Stats_Facts) July 28, 2024
However, his performance began to decline last season, as he posted a 4.42 ERA and allowed 11 home runs over 55 innings. This year started even worse, with a career-high 6.53 ERA, 24 hits, 10 walks, and 6 home runs surrendered in 20.2 innings before being DFA’d.
Gallegos primarily relies on his fastball and sharp slider, occasionally mixing in a changeup. At his peak, he had elite swing-and-miss stuff with just these pitches. However, his fastball velocity has dropped to 92 mph this season from its usual 94 mph.
The Twins will evaluate Gallegos in St. Paul to see if they can help him regain his previous effectiveness. Over his career, he has a 3.49 ERA with 396 strikeouts and 45 saves in 335.2 innings. If he performs well with the Saints, he could become a potential bullpen option for the Twins, depending on the health and performance of their current relievers.
**Farmer Starts Rehab Assignment**
Veteran Twins infielder Kyle Farmer is also beginning a rehab assignment with the Saints on Tuesday. With the addition of Carlos Correa and the presence of Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Willi Castro, Jose Miranda, and Carlos Santana, it’s unclear where Farmer will fit into the big-league roster. He struggled before his injury, hitting .189 with no homers and a .557 OPS in 151 plate appearances.
