“Dodgers sign Giovanny Gallegos to minors.”

The Dodgers signed a right-handed hitter Giovanny Gallegos to a minor league deal, reports Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors (links to X). Gallegos will receive an invitation to the team’s big league spring training camp and a base salary of $2.5 million if he provides $1.5 million more in incentives to Los Angeles’ active roster. The deal includes three opt-out dates, giving Gallegos some flexibility if the Dodgers don’t plan on picking his contract.

The 33-year-old Gallegos, a veteran of eight major league seasons, is best known for his great four-year run with the Cardinals from 2019-22, during which he posted a 2.84 ERA, a 32% strikeout rate and a 6.6% walk rate over 228 1/3 innings pitched out of the St. Louis bullpen. That performance earned him a two-year, $11 million extension in October 2022 that covered Gallegos’ remaining two years of arbitration and gave the Cardinals a $6.5 million club option on Gallegos’ services for 2025 .

Gallegos’ performance took a step backwards with a 4.42 ERA in 2023 as his strikeout rate fell and his home run total skyrocketed. This foreshadowed the right-hander’s very difficult 2024 season, as Gallegos had a 6.53 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with a variety of subpar metrics, as well as six home runs allowed in that small sample size.

Due to the lack of performance and just over six weeks spent on the IL with a shoulder injury, Gallegos went against the Cardinals’ plans as they designated him for assignment and he opted for free agency in early August. The Twins quickly signed Gallegos to a minor league deal, but he saw no time on their big league roster after posting a 4.26 ERA at Triple-A St. Paul with more walks (10) than strikeouts ( 8) over 12 2/3 innings.

While the arrow has been pointed at Gallegos for the past two seasons, the Dodgers have a long history of helping pitchers regain form or reach new levels of performance. If LA’s coaching and player development staff can find a solution to the right-hander’s recent woes, the Dodgers could find a cost-effective arm that can be part of their 2025 bullpen and perhaps even their late-game mix.