We just talked about the mysteriously quiet market for Dexter Fowler, and the same could be said for that of Yovani Gallardo's. The right-hander had one of the best seasons of his MLB career with the Texas Rangers in 2015, yet he's still unsigned due to his tie to draft-pick compensation.
Rumors have linked the veteran to a number of MLB clubs that are in need of starting pitching, but the idea of surrendering a first-round draft pick has spurred a reluctance to conduct such business. Gallardo's market has primarily consisted of the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies as of late, but the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs have also been on the periphery at some point during the offseason.
Still, the idea of parting ways with a draft pick is unpopular in the eyes of those who are most interested in Gallardo, according to the latest rumors.
"The Orioles, Astros and Rockies are among the teams seemingly balking at the idea of signing him and losing a pick," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Baltimore's general manager Dan Duquette already openly stated the team was not interested in surrendering their 14th overall pick in the upcoming draft, meaning the team probably won't sign a player that rejected the qualifying offer. Rockies GM Jeff Bridich said the team's interest in Gallardo is "overblown." The Astros haven't really been outspoken on any particular subject, but they've been linked to a number of intriguing names this offseason. However, given the way GM Jeff Luhnow values young talent, perhaps he might not be awfully inclined to part ways with his pick.
If any of the aforementioned clubs were to sign Gallardo, here's the pick they would surrender to the Rangers:
Orioles - No. 14 overall
Astros - No. 18 overall
Blue Jays - No. 23 overall
Pirates - No. 24 overall
Rockies - No. 38 overall
Cubs - No. 104 overall (unless OF Dexter Fowler signs elsewhere because then they'd receiver a higher draft pick)
The only arguments that make a whole lot of sense here are those for the O's and Rockies. Neither can really afford to give away draft picks since their farm systems are weak, and let's face it, they have some other work to do before they catch up to the better clubs in their respective divisions. However, the Astros, Blue Jays, Pirates and Cubs don't really need those draft picks due to their stacked farm systems and plethora of young players at the MLB level. Each of those clubs is also in a much more "win now" situation.
Additionally, while draft picks in baseball possess value, they're obviously not as valuable as established MLB talent, which is perhaps being overlooked here.
"Would there be risk? Of course there would be risk," Rosenthal adds. "The player could flop, attract little trade interest and then not merit a qualifying offer next offseason, leaving the team unable to recover the pick.
"But sorry, we're not talking about replacement-level talent here. We're talking about accomplished veterans."
Gallardo, who turns 30 next month, went 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 33 starts (184-1/3 innings) last season. In nine MLB seasons the right-hander is 102-75 with a 3.66 ERA. Compare that to left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who is 46-32 with a 3.72 ERA in four MLB seasons and just landed an $80 million deal with the Miami Marlins. Chen was also tied to draft-pick compensation and is 30 years old.
Gallardo is likely falling victim to the stacked class of free-agent pitchers this offseason, as Fowler has with this year's class of outfielders. However, one of these teams will likely come to their senses and realize years of proven MLB talent is more valuable than a draft pick that may result in a bust.
