The Texas Rangers have made the big pitching splash their fans hoped they'd make this offseason.
The club acquired Texas right-hander Yovani Gallardo from Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Luis Sardinas, right-hander Corey Knebel and right-hander Marcos Diplan. The club made the deal official Monday afternoon.
"From the beginning of the offseason the biggest thing we were lacking was innings in our rotation," Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. "We're in a lot better position than we were a couple of months ago."
According to a source the Brewers are paying $4 million of the $13 million Gallardo is due this season. Daniels said the clubs began talking about a possible deal last month at the winter meetings in San Diego.
"I'm very excited; it definitely means a lot," Gallardo said. "Throughout my career, I think I've been doing pretty good. I'm ready to take the ball. I'm going to give it all that I have and at the end of the day, we're going to see what happens. I'm going to prepare and give my team a chance to win."
Gallardo has been a rotation stalwart for Milwaukee for the last six seasons. He's made at least 30 starts, pitched at least 180 innings and won at least eight games in all six seasons. He was just 8-11 in 2014 but his 3.51 ERA was his lowest in a full season. From 2009 to 2012 Gallardo had at least 200 strikeouts each season. He had 146 in 2014.
Gallardo grew up in Fort Worth, went to Fort Worth Trimble Tech High School and still lives in Fort Worth in the offseason. His pitching coach through the 2008 season was current Rangers coach Mike Maddux.
"Yo's an experienced guy who's pitched in big moments, pitched in the playoffs," Maddux said. "He's logged 200 innings multiple times. He's going to be a good addition to the staff and the team. He has a good track record in everything he's done. He's well received in the clubhouse, the weight room. He's always been one of everyone's favorite teammates."
New Texas manager Jeff Banister, who saw Gallardo pitch as the bench coach in Pittsburgh, is excited to add Gallardo to a rotation that also includes Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis.
"He was a workhorse against us," Banister said. "We didn't really barrel him up very good. He's a guy that when he was on top of his game the command was plus. More than anything else the tenacity by which he's pitched and how he loved to compete. He really wanted to show our hitters that he was in command every time he faced us."
Sardinas played in Double A, Triple A and for the Rangers in 2014. In 43 games he hit .261 with eight RBI. Knebel was acquired by the Rangers last year from Detroit in the Joakim Soria trade. Knebel, 22, made his big-league debut with the Tigers and pitched in eight games.
Diplan, 18, went 7-2 in the Dominican Summer League. He went 7-2 with a 1.54 ERA.
