Yovani Gallardo – UPI/Bill Greenblatt
While football was on the brain for most of the sports nation, Major League baseball teams had some of their own action going on Sunday.
Both FoxSports.com and ESPN.com were reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers are sending right-handed pitcher Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers. Neither team is confirming anything at this time.
The Brewers exercised Gallardo’s $13-million option for 2015, but he can become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season. The Rangers could convince Gallardo to sign an extension in Texas, which is where he played his high school baseball.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel cites sources from other clubs saying the Brewers had been aggressively shopping Gallardo of late.
The Brewers could be looking to clear a spot for their top pitching prospect Jimmy Nelson in the starting rotation. But there’s also speculation that the Brewers are looking to reduce payroll to clear space for another veteran pitcher, possibly James Shields who pitched in Kansas City last season or possibly Washington’s Jordan Zimmerman who could be on the trade block. Zimmerman is from Auburndale, Wis., and pitched his college baseball at UW-Stevens Point.
Gallardo has pitched at least 180 innings in each of the last six seasons and is 89-64 with a 3.69 ERA in 214 games over his career with the Brewers.