Once upon a time, Giovanny Gallegos was one of the most underrated late-game relievers in the game. From 2019-2022, the right-hander had a 2.84 ERA in 212 appearances working primarily as a late-game reliever. The 2023 season was a down year for Gallegos, and the 2024 campaign was truly one to forget.
Gallegos wound up posting a 6.53 ERA in 21 appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024, pitching so poorly to the point that he was DFA’d during the season. John Mozeliak deserves no blame for making the decision that anyone in charge in that situation would make, but still – the way Gallegos’ Cardinals tenure ended left a sour taste in the mouths of the fan base.
With how much he struggled in mind, a Gallegos reunion in St. Louis was never going to happen – Cardinals fans just hoped he wouldn’t end up somewhere that he could possibly haunt his old team. Well, Gallegos inking a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers certainly sets the stage for Gallegos to do just that.
Dodgers have signed former Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos to a minor-league deal, per @Adams_Steve pic.twitter.com/RCgosy0f9d
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 23, 2024
It’s a minor league deal for Gallegos who joins the defending World Series champions in a deal that offers zero risk and the chance for very real reward.
Dodgers might’ve found a diamond in the rough with Giovanny Gallegos
What sticks out the most from his rough go of it in 2024 was Gallegos’ velocity. His average fastball velocity this past season was just 92.2 mph according to Baseball Savant – a career-low, and nowhere near where he was at his best. In 2023, that average fastball velocity was 93.7 mph. In 2022, it was 94.3 mph. When it averaged around 94 mph, that’s when Gallegos was at his best.
It was reasonable to pin Gallegos’ velocity dip on the fact that he’s now 33 years old, but it appears as if it was more of a mechanical issue. Gallegos has already regained a couple of ticks on his fastball this offseason, which would certainly appear to give him a better shot of succeeding in 2025.
Had Gallegos landed with most of the other 29 teams, it’d be no big deal. The fact that he’s joining the Dodgers, a team known for getting the most out of relievers who might’ve joined them coming off a down year, gives Gallegos the best chance to succeed and gives the Cardinals the best chance to regret ever letting him out of the door.
Evan Phillips had a career ERA over 7.00 before the Dodgers got him off of waivers in 2021, and he’s been nothing short of elite since. Ryan Brasier struggled so mightily to the point where the Boston Red Sox DFA’d and released him. He has completely turned his career around in Los Angeles and was an important part of their World Series run. Anthony Banda spent time with seven different teams before becoming an integral part of the Dodgers’ bullpen. He was their only left-handed reliever in the NLCS.
Gallegos isn’t guaranteed to amount to anything in Los Angeles, but the Dodgers have proven to turn relievers with way worse track records than what Gallegos is entering with into high-end options in relief. It would not be surprising in the slightest if the Dodgers are able to maximize him at the MLB level, which would only make Mozeliak and Co. look bad for ever letting him go.
Leave a Reply