Former Cardinals Closer Giovanny Gallego Signs Free Agent Deal With Marquee Team

He recorded 42 saves from 2020 through 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but Giovanny Gallegos has been losing his effectiveness over the last couple of seasons, and now as a free agent he has decided to sign on with the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Source: former #STLCards closer Giovanny Gallegos is signing with the #Dodgers on a minor league deal with spring training invite.
— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) November 23, 2024

It's a minor league deal for the 33-year-old Gallegos, who got rocked this past season to the tune of a 6.53 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. He'll get an invite to major league camp with LA at spring training.

Gallegos started the 2024 season in St. Louis as at least a decent late-inning, high-leverage arm, and picked up a save and a win in his first four appearances, but finished April with a 9.00 ERA, and had long since lost the closer's job to Ryan Helsley.

He was DFA'd in August, and the Minnesota Twins took a chance on a minor league deal, but Gallegos was never able to make it back to the majors.

He'll try to recapture some of his magic under the Dodger staff's tutelage. He was a tremendous late-inning option from 2019 to 2022, with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of less than 1.00 most of that time.

It remains to be seen if, at age 33, he can get some of that back. But if any team can turn things around for Gallegos, it would be the Dodgers.