Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette recently said the team was unwilling to surrender the 14th overall pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. As a result, many figured they were out of the running for starter Yovani Gallardo, who rejected the Texas Rangers' qualifying offer in December.
Well, the latest rumors suggest otherwise.
"Just when it appeared that the Orioles had no interest in surrendering their first pick in the draft, they definitely are reconsidering as right-hander Yovani Gallardo remains on the free agent market," writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
"The latest shift in thinking apparently has occurred within the past week. They're checking medicals again and weighing the pros and cons. They haven't walked away from Gallardo.
"They just can't seem to quit him."
The Orioles certainly need to replace the loss of starter Wei-Yin Chen, who signed an $80 million contract with the Miami Marlins earlier this offseason. The left-hander was Baltimore's best starter and now the team has arguably one of the worst rotations in the MLB. The unit ranked 25th in the MLB with a 4.53 starters' ERA last season, and that was with Chen's 3.34 ERA.
Despite their need in the rotation, the Orioles also have one of the MLB's worst farm systems, so it may not be prudent to surrender that draft pick. The club is positioned nicely as it's slated to pick 14th overall, 29th overall (compensation for Chen), 54th overall, 69th overall (for failing to sign last year's second-round pick), 76th overall and 91st overall. Those selections could begin a successful reboot of their weak farm system.
Then again, the club is likely hopeful to compete in the short-term, especially after re-signing stars Chris Davis, Darren O'Day and Matt Wieters in addition to trading for Mark Trumbo. With their payroll approaching $140 million, signing Gallardo would further increase that figure, and perhaps put more pressure on the team to win.
"The Orioles have a penchant for late strikes in the market," writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. "They have an obvious need for rotation depth (their current No. 5 options include Vance Worley, Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright) and are waiting/hoping for Gallardo's price to lower to the point that giving up the No. 14 overall pick (and the slot money associated with it) makes sense. Maybe it'll never get to that point, but if the O's are serious about contending this year, they really, really need help in that rotation."
There are significant pros and cons for both scenarios. Gallardo, who turns 30 at the end of the month, had a career season in 2015 and is 102-75 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 247 games (244 starts) throughout his nine-year MLB tenure.
He'd provide a good veteran presence in the Orioles' rotation, but the team will have to decide what the best formula is for both the short- and long-term.
