Yovani Gallardo reportedly gets 3-year, $35 million deal from Orioles

It’s a three-year, $35 million deal for Gallardo, the best free agent pitcher left on the market.

Sources told Crasnick that there’s a fourth-year option for $13 million as part of the deal.

Gallardo, 29, posted a 13-11 record with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP with 121 strikeouts over 33 starts in 2015 with the Texas Rangers. However, his strikeout rate has fallen off dramatically in recent years, and his walk rate went in the wrong direction last season (8.6% BB%), so his appeal in standard mixed leagues is rather limited.

The move will result in the Orioles losing their first round pick, No. 14 overall, in the next MLB Draft.

Gallardo receives a three-year deal worth $35 million. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com was first to report the deal. According to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, Gallardo will receive $9 million in 2016, $11 million in 2017 and $13 million in 2018. Gallardo will replace former O’s veteran Wei-Yin Chen in the rotation, who was signed away from the Miami Marlins last month, as he will join Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez in the club’s starting rotation. Before the 2015 campaign, Gallardo was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to Texas after spending the first eight seasons of his big league career there. Signing Fowler would cost the O’s their next-highest pick, now No. 28 overall.

Another local writer, MASN’s Roch Kubatko, adds that talks started to get more serious with Gallardo yesterday. Dexter Fowler remains an option, but it could be unlikely the Orioles are willing to lose two picks for two free agents. Alternatively, the Birds could pursue other hitting options, such as signing free-agent first baseman Pedro Alvarez (who would not cost a draft pick) or trading for Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.