[adinserter block=”2″]As of last week, it was looking like a done deal that the Baltimore Orioles would be signing qualified free agent starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo very soon. That still seems like the case, here as pitchers and catchers are reporting around baseball, but it’s not yet a done deal.
Moreover, it was looking like, once the Orioles got the deal with Gallardo done, they would turn their attention to the outfield, and sign fellow qualified free agent Dexter Fowler, whose effective “price” to the Orioles would have dropped (a lower draft pick cost).
It still seems like that’s going to happen, though the phrasing on Fowler and the Orioles has been upped to “confident”:
From the Non-Update Update Dept: #orioles still confident will sign Gallardo & Fowler. Just working on $$. Price apparently changed recently
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) February 17, 2016
The last note may refer to Gallardo or Fowler (or both), but the latter is expected by some to come surprisingly cheaply. And, for what it’s worth, the Orioles’ interest in Fowler is not exclusively tied to signing Gallardo:
Also told #orioles would be interested in signing Fowler even if they don't get Gallardo (which they still expect to do. just sayin').
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) February 17, 2016
We continue to wait on a conclusion to this surprising drama, and hopefully it’s a good one for Fowler. Once he signs, the Cubs will recoup a draft pick, and will see their minuscule draft bonus pool increase quite a bit.