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Another possible starting pitching target if Chen and Samardzija are not considered could be former Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Yovani Gallardo. Since 2009, Gallardo has been one of the most durable pitchers in the game, making no fewer than 30 starts.
Moving to the American League for the first time is an adjustment for many pitchers who attained widespread success in the opposite league, but Gallardo fared nicely with the Texas Rangers in 2015 in his first exposure to the designated hitter.
In 184.1 innings of work, Gallardo collected a 4.1 WAR, the highest in his career, as he found success compensating strikeouts for contact. Gallardo’s body of work coupled with flashes of ace potential might make him a value pickup for the Yankees at a fraction of the cost Price or Greinke may command.
Like Price and Greinke however, Gallardo has a qualifying offer attached to him and would cost any team their first-round pick next June. One of the reasons for the recent resurgence of the Yankees system stemmed from avoiding the big-ticket free agent, but with young pitchers such as James Kaprielian and Domingo Acevedo being long-range prospects, the Yankees could sign their first qualifying free agent since 2013 if need arises.
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