Presented in order of 2018 innings pitched…

James Shields: He topped 200 frames for the tenth time in 2018, so teams looking for volume will have to place Shields on the top of their value list. True, the results (4.53 ERA) and peripherals (6.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.5 HR/9, 35.2% GB rate) weren’t exciting, but Shields is also a respected staff member who’d be valued for his positive influence on teammates. For the right organization, he’s a viable innings eater.

Bartolo Colon: Yep, he’s back — or at least he hopes to be. Home runs were a big problem last year for Big Sexy, but he still racked up 146 1/3 frames on the year for the Rangers. As with Shields, there won’t likely be much interest from contenders, but other teams that are thin on upper-level pitching depth could look to Colon as a cheap source of innings.

Clay Buchholz: It’s quite a different story for the 34-year-old Buchholz, who had a nice turnaround campaign before it was cut short by yet another injury. Organizations that are interested in building waves of talented arms, whether or not they come with health concerns, will certainly be intrigued by Buchholz, even if his peripherals (7.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.82 HR/9, 42.6% GB rate) didn’t quite support the sparkling 2.01 ERA he carried through 98 1/3 innings last year in Arizona.

Yovani Gallardo: Though he made it through 94 1/3 innings, the outcomes weren’t pretty for Gallardo. Memories of his days as a sturdy mid-rotation starter are long faded, though perhaps there’s reason to believe in at least some amount of positive regression. Gallardo’s 6.39 ERA in 2018 was caused in some part by a low 64.5% strand rate. Of course, ERA estimators still valued his contributions in the low-5.00 realm, so there’s not a ton of room for optimism.

Edwin Jackson: Jackson ran up a productive ERA in about a half-season of work as a key member of Oakland’s patchwork rotation. But the spread in this case between his ERA (3.33) and ERA estimators (4.65 FIP, 4.88 xFIP, 4.98 SIERA) is significant. Jackson is still averaging better than 93 mph on his heater, but he likely won’t benefit again from a .240 batting average on balls in play from opposing hitters.

Brett Anderson: Some will be surprised to learn that Anderson only celebrated his 31st birthday earlier this month. The lefty debuted as a 21-year-old and has had a tumultuous career, but he put forth a solid effort in 80 1/3 frames with the A’s in ’18. Anderson registered a 55.6 percent grounder rate and notched a career-best 1.46 BB/9. He doesn’t miss many bats and has a long injury history, but the southpaw’s knack for keeping the ball on the ground and his typically low walk rates could be appealing for a team seeking depth rather than a candidate to make 30 starts.

Doug Fister: A knee injury wrecked Fister’s 2018 season, but the righty displayed his typical penchant for keeping the ball on the ground (50.4 percent) and avoiding free passes (2.5 BB/9). Fister managed a 4.50 ERA in 66 innings — nearly half of which came at the launching pad that is Globe Life Park in Arlington. It’s an extraordinarily small sample, to be sure, but the righty did notch a 2.82 ERA and 4.14 FIP in 35 2/3 innings on the road. As far as depth options go, clubs could do far worse than the 35-year-old veteran.

Ervin Santana: Only 10 pitchers threw more innings than Santana between the 2016-17 seasons, but an injured tendon in his pitching hand that required surgery last offseason more or less wiped out his entire 2018 campaign. It’s perhaps heartening that the injury wasn’t specific to the his elbow or shoulder. Santana’s results in 24 2/3 innings were awful (22 runs on 31 hits and nine walks), though it’s unlikely that he was healthy when on the hill. He may be 36 now, but Santana posted a combined 3.52 ERA in 907 2/3 frames from 2013-17. If his hand is healed up, he could be the best bet for a productive season on this list.

That said, as Wilson notes, the team isn’t likely to pursue top-of-the-market options like Dallas Keuchel and Patrick Corbin. Rather, a less substantial investment — something along the lines of last winter’s Mike Minor signing (three years, $28MM), perhaps — could be in the cards.

Of course, that assumes not only that the Rangers will be able to offer enough money, but also that they’ll be able to woo an appealing hurler to join a roster that likely won’t be expected to contend immediately. Of course, the very same uncertainties also make the Texas club “a pretty attractive destination” for pitchers who are “willing to compete for innings in Spring Training,” as Daniels put it.

Even if the Rangers end up making a reasonably splashy acquisition, they’ll surely be looking for other arms to battle it out in camp. After all, there are slim pickings on hand.

Beyond Minor, Adrian Sampson, Yohander Mendez, Ariel Jurado and Eddie Butler all possibilities in 2019. Edinson Volquez, too, could be in the mix at some point as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Wilson notes that Yovani Gallardo would like to return to Texas as well, while the door also seems open for Martin Perez to come back even if his option is declined (as probably ought to be expected).

While it’s true, then, that there are possibilities on hand, that group of hurlers is not exactly overflowing with MLB accomplishment and promise as compared with most staffs around baseball. Neither would the above-suggested reunions clearly move the needle. Given Gallardo’s extraordinary decline and poor results in 2018, for instance, a minor-league deal seems appropriate. It’s also questionable whether Perez is worthy of an MLB pact, though he has youth on his side and has been useful at times in the past.

Clearly, then, Daniels is to be taken at his words regarding the clear-cut openings in the rotation. The situation could very well hold appeal to starters who know they’ll need to win jobs on non-guaranteed pacts in Spring Training.

The veteran executive notes, too, that the organization is open to being “a little less traditional” in how it structures its staff, perhaps opening the door to some creative options in structuring a staff. Bold thinking may well be necessary; barring some unexpectedly consequential acquisitions via trade and/or free agency, after all, the expectations will likely not be terribly lofty for the Rangers’ 2019 rotation.

Some more from around the AL West…

• The Athletics are getting calls about their relievers, as a scout tells Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino, and Ryan Buchter have all drawn interest from multiple teams.  Treinen has been mentioned as a potential trade chip, though Gammons says that Oakland has declined all offers for the closer.  Treinen has two more years of control remaining via arbitration, while Buchter has three and Trivino only made his MLB debut this season.  The A’s would surely need quite a bit to part with any of the trio, though a trade isn’t out of the question if the team is considering buying at the deadline.  The A’s still have a big deficit to make up in both the AL West and wild card races, though an 11-2 run in their last 13 games has given them an impressive 45-38 record.
• With the Rangers facing a lot of uncertainty with their starting rotation in 2019, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram suggests that Yovani Gallardo could potentially return to the team next season.  Gallardo hasn’t shown much in three starts for Texas, though he would likely be a low-cost signing in the offseason and would give the Rangers some veteran depth as they juggle their various pitching options going forward.
• While the Angels’ farm system is usually rated around the middle of the pack in most organization rankings, this represents a major improvement from just a couple of years ago, when the prospect-starved Halos were considered to have one of the worst collections of minor league talent of any team in recent memory.  The Athletic’s Steve Dilbeck (subscription required) looks at how the Angels have rebuilt their player development system under GM Billy Eppler, with a particular organization-wide focus on finding athletic players.  “You’ve seen over the course of [Eppler’s] drafts a very common thread,” Angels director of scouting Matt Swanson said.  “Athleticism and not being afraid of high upside players and understanding that we can bring guys in and get them bigger, faster and stronger.”

FRIDAY: The Rangers will select the contract of veteran righty Yovani Gallardo, per a club announcement. He’ll join the team in time to make a start on Sunday, at which time corresponding moves will be made.

Gallardo, 32, enjoyed his last run of success in the majors when he turned in 184 1/3 frames of 3.42 ERA pitching for the Rangers back in 2015. Through 251 MLB innings since that time, he has limped to a 5.81 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.

Since coming back to the Texas organization earlier this year on a minors deal, following a very brief and unsuccessful stint with the Reds, Gallardo has taken the ball for ten starts at Triple-A. He has been in solid form there, working to a 3.81 ERA with forty strikeouts and 14 free passes.

The Rangers will turn to Gallardo with Doug Fister hitting the DL and Matt Moore being pushed to the pen. If Gallardo throws well enough to stick, he might help the team cover for potential trade deadline moves (or, less likely, turn into an asset himself). The Texas pen is also increasingly hurting, with Chris Martin and Matt Bush going on the DL today.

Gallardo has already spent time with the Brewers and Reds organizations this year. He was cut loose by each, though, after a middling spring with Milwaukee and then a messy three-appearance stint with the Cincinnati organization.

Now, the 32-year-old hurler will become the latest notable pitcher to seek a bounce back in Texas. He was acquired by the organization before the 2015 season in a swap that cost the Rangers future closer Corey Knebel. Gallardo originally launched his professional career after being drafted from a Texas high school, so there are multiple connections at play here.

That ’15 campaign is the last in which Gallardo has been effective. He worked to a 3.42 ERA in 184 1/3 innings for the Rangers, wrapping up an impressive run of success dating back to his debut season of 2007. Since, though, he has managed only 251 frames of 5.81 ERA ball with 6.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.

Gallardo’s tenure with the Reds will go down as a brief 2 1/3-inning stint over a span of just three games. Cincinnati picked up the veteran righty after he didn’t make the Brewers’ Opening Day roster, but the 32-year-old will once again hit the open market in search of a new club.

Gallardo was a quality big league starter from 2009-15, averaging 32 starts and 191 innings of 3.69 ERA ball per season with Milwaukee (and, in 2015, with the Rangers). However, his strikeout rate began to deteriorate in 2013. His fastball, which averaged 92.5 mph during his best seasons, fell to an average of 90.4 mph in his lone season with Texas, and the start of his Orioles career was marred by a shoulder/biceps issue which shelved him for roughly six weeks. He gained some of his velocity back in 2017 with Seattle, though that spike is likely in part attributable to a brief move to the bullpen.

Over the past two seasons, Gallardo has struggled to a 5.57 ERA with just 6.5 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9 and 1.4 HR/9 as he’s become increasingly susceptible to the long ball. Still, a club in need of some rotation depth could certainly look to bring the veteran into the fold as a depth option — depending on his willingness to head to the minors. It’s possible that a club particularly thin on pitching, such as the Marlins, could look to plug Gallardo directly into its staff (that’s merely my own speculation), though most clubs would view him as more of a Triple-A depth option at this point.

Gallardo, 32, spent camp with the division-rival Brewers but was cut loose before the start of the season. He joined the Cincinnati organization shortly thereafter on a deal that reported came with a $750K salary. It’s not clear, though, whether some or all of that sum is guaranteed.

Though it’s still quite early, Gallardo is off to a brutal start. He has allowed eight earned runs on eight hits and four walks while logging 2 1/3 innings. The veteran has had trouble finding the zone and been hammered when he has. That follows some rather distinct struggles over the past two campaigns, as Gallardo carries a 5.57 ERA in his past 248 2/3 innings.

Still, it stands to reason that another team will come calling on Gallardo, though he’ll surely have to spend some time in the minors before another MLB chance opens. From 2009 through 2015, after all, he averaged 191 innings of 3.69 ERA annually. While it’s no longer reasonable to anticipate anything close to that kind of productivity, Gallardo could end up being seen as a handy depth option to have around.

As for Rainey, the 2015 second-rounder could make for an interesting addition to the MLB relief unit. He has a big arm and took off after moving to a full-time relief role in 2017. Splitting the season between the High-A and Double-A levels, Rainey compiled a 3.19 ERA with 15.1 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.

• In not-so-good news for the Phillies, righty Pat Neshek is fearful that the shoulder strain which forced him to the disabled list could “be something serious,” the reliever informed Matt Breen of Philly.com and other media. The 37-year-old Neshek added that this is the first time he has dealt with this type of injury. “And that’s what’s kind of weirding me out a little bit,” he continued. “But it’s something like, if I had to pitch today, I know I could. But I’m more worried about how it’s going to progress over the next couple weeks.” Neshek was the recipient of a two-year, $16.25MM deal in the offseason. Teammate and fellow reliever Tommy Hunter also landed a two-year deal (for an even richer $18MM). Both pitchers opened the season on the DL, though, with Hunter battling a hamstring strain.
• Padres corner outfielder Wil Myers has been dealing with back trouble over the past couple weeks, and it kept him out of the lineup Saturday. It doesn’t seem to be a serious injury, however, as manager Andy Green told reporters including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that Myers’ issue is “a day-to-day thing at most.” Myers suggested that moving from his previous position, first base, to the outfield has had a detrimental effect on his back in the early going. “I need to work on my posture a little more,” Myers said. “Playing a new position kind of wears on you a little bit. I’ll be fine, going to keep working to get it better. Before too long, it’ll be gone.” Myers, who began his major league career in 2013 as an outfielder, spent the previous two seasons as a first baseman. He moved back to the grass in the offseason to accommodate Eric Hosmer, whom the Padres signed to an eight-year, $144MM contract in free agency.
• Yovani Gallardo signed a major league deal with the Reds on Saturday, but they weren’t the only team that pursued the right-hander. Gallardo told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic and other reporters that he garnered offers from other clubs before joining the Reds (though it’s unclear whether those were big league proposals). He’s now in position to return to regular-season action in the NL Central, where he pitched with the Brewers from 2007-14. Gallardo has collected plenty of experience at the Reds’ Great American Ballpark as a result, having made 15 starts there, Rosecrans notes.

It’s a quick turnaround for the 32-year-old Gallardo, who earlier this offseason settled for a partially-guaranteed contract with a Brewers organization that drafted and developed him. Soon after being informed that he wouldn’t make the team, Gallardo was released by Milwaukee.

After just five days back on the open market, the righty has found a new home with a rebuilding Reds organization that finds itself wondering when Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan might return to the rotation. The signing figures to push left-hander Cody Reed to the bullpen, leaving the club with a starting cast of Homer Bailey, Luis Castillo, Sal Romano, Tyler Mahle and Gallardo.

While Gallardo’s 5.57 ERA, 6.48 K/9 and 4.38 BB/9 across the past two seasons with the Orioles and Mariners represent rather uninspiring marks, the righty had long been an effective rotation piece for the Brewers and Rangers. Prior to 2016, his ERA had only exceeded 4.00 once in a full season, and according to Fangraphs his full-season WAR never dipped below 2.0 from 2009-2015. If he can regain some semblance of his former ground ball-inducing and hard contact-limiting ability, he could yet prove a steady presence in the Reds’ rotation.

This move had been expected, as the club determined over the weekend that Gallardo would not be on the Opening Day roster. That made it all but certain that the reunion would be short-lived between Gallardo and the organization he pitched for from 2007 through 2014.

Still, there had been at least some belief that he might end up being moved in trade. Instead, Gallardo will head back onto the open market in search of a new organization.

Gallardo, 32, was long an effective rotation piece. But he has struggled badly over the past two seasons. Injury certainly played a role, and Gallardo lost about a full tick on his heater in 2016. But even in a 2017 season in which he recovered some of that lost velo and revived his swinging-strike rate to its highest level since 2011, Gallardo limped to a 5.72 ERA in 130 2/3 innings by surrendering a career-high 1.65 homers per nine.

While the recent signs aren’t all that promising, the Brewers obviously felt Gallardo was worth at least a partial commitment. He was not particularly effective this spring, allowing seven earned runs in 13 1/3 innings while recording a 12:8 K/BB ratio, but may yet find a MLB opportunity to open the season. If not, odds are that Gallardo will be an in-demand depth piece.

More on Milwaukee and a couple other Central teams…

• The Brewers wouldn’t have had two open spots in their rotation if not for the right shoulder injury top starter Jimmy Nelson suffered late last year. Nelson continues to make progress in his recovery from September surgery and could start working from the mound again as early as mid-April, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Meanwhile, catcher Stephen Vogt – out since February with a shoulder issue of his own – is aiming to return to game action by May 1.
• Like Milwaukee, the White Sox have also established their rotation for the beginning of the season. Righty Carson Fulmer has beaten out lefty Hector Santiago (who’s likely to stick around as a long reliever) for the No. 5 spot, Alyson Footer of MLB.com writes. Fulmer will round out a starting staff that’ll also feature James Shields, Lucas Giolito, Miguel Gonzalez and Reynaldo Lopez. Santiago, 30, signed a minors deal in February with the White Sox, with whom he pitched from 2011-13. Although Santiago has functioned as a starter for the majority of his career, he’s content to work in a relief role in his second go-round with the South Siders. “I’m open to whatever,” he said. “As long as I have a uniform on my back, I’m happy with the job that they give me. Right now, it’s in the bullpen as a long guy and I’ll be ready for any role.”
• The Cubs are going with Victor Caratini, not Chris Gimenez, to back up starting catcher Willson Contreras, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thanks to his well-known rapport with new Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish from their days in Texas, Gimenez seemed like the front-runner for the job at the outset of spring training; instead, he’ll head to Triple-A Iowa, per Wittenmyer. The 24-year-old Caratini, whom MLB.com ranks as the Cubs’ No. 8 prospect, hit .254/.333/.356 across 66 plate appearances during his first MLB action last season.

11:39am: MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets out an important note regarding the $2MM salary: it’ll only apply should Gallardo crack the Opening Day roster, meaning it isn’t fully guaranteed. McCalvy further notes the incentives can be achieved either by innings or appearances, allowing him some earning possibilities regardless of role.

11:55am: Gallardo’s signing has been announced. He’ll be promised $2MM and can double that via incentives, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 16, 5:23pm: Gallardo received a major league deal, Jon Heyman of FanRag tweets. It’s pending a physical, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds (via Twitter).

4:53pm: The Brewers and free agent right-hander Yovani Gallardo have agreed to a contract, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Details of the pact aren’t yet available. Gallardo is an Octagon client.

This move represents a homecoming of sorts for the soon-to-be 32-year-old Gallardo, whose greatest major league success has come in a Brewers uniform. A second-round pick of the Brewers in 2004, Gallardo debuted in the majors in 2007 and ultimately served as a front-of-the-rotation presence with the club through 2014. During that eight-season span, Gallardo racked up 1,289 1/3 innings – tossing fewer than 180 frames in just two individual campaigns – and recorded a 3.69 ERA with 8.56 K/9, 3.31 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent groundball rate. He also earned an All-Star nod, the only one of his career, in 2010.

While Gallardo was terrific during his first go-around in Milwaukee, he has significantly declined since it traded him to Texas in a January 2015 deal involving now-Brewers closer Corey Knebel and others. Gallardo’s results were appealing with the Rangers that season (184 1/3 innings of 3.42 ERA ball), but he fell off in earnest after inking a three-year, $35MM contract to join the Orioles heading into 2016. Between Baltimore and Seattle, where he spent last season after going to the Mariners in a January trade for outfielder Seth Smith, Gallardo posted a 5.57 ERA with 6.48 K/9 against 4.38 BB/9 across 248 2/3 innings and 51 appearances (45 starts).

Despite his woes last season, Gallardo did offer some encouraging signs in the form of a velocity increase, his highest swinging-strike rate (8.3 percent) since 2011 and a career-best infield fly percentage (16.3). The Brewers will obviously hope those gains carry over, though it’s unclear if Gallardo will slot into their rotation immediately or occupy a swingman role in his return to Milwaukee. Gallardo’s struggles as a starter last year forced him into the bullpen for the first time in his career, and the Mariners subsequently bought him out in November for $2MM in lieu of keeping him aboard with a $13MM club option.

The Brewers were among the majors’ surprising success stories during an 86-win 2017, but they’ll head into 2018 without top starter Jimmy Nelson, who will miss time after undergoing shoulder surgery in September. Now, they’re down to Chase Anderson and Zach Davies atop a rotation mix that could clearly use more help beyond Gallardo (depth chart). It’s reasonable to expect general manager David Stearns to make further pitching additions, then, whether via free agency, the trade market or both.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Elsewhere, the Padres seem to be making some headway in their efforts to add a shortstop, Lin tweets. GM A.J. Preller says the club has at least narrowed the list of possibilities to a handful or so. They’ve been connected to the likes of Freddy Galvis, Zack Cozart and Alcides Escobar (Hosmer’s teammate in Kansas City) recently.

More from around the majors as the meetings wind down…

• Just-acquired Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler was only willing to waive his 10-team no-trade clause for them, Tigers general manager Al Avila told reporters. Avila added that he had talks with three other teams on Kinsler’s no-trade list Wednesday, noting that he “had no leverage” because of the second baseman’s limited NTC. The executive’s not upset with Kinsler, though, as he realizes the player was fully within his rights prevent certain deals from happening (all Twitter links via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press and Evan Woodbery of MLive.com).
• The Nationals and various right-handed relievers have had “serious” talks today, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. While Janes doesn’t include any names, Jon Heyman of FanRag lists Addison Reed, Brandon Kintzler and Steve Cishek as relievers who are on the team’s radar (Twitter links). Wade Davis and Hector Rondon have also been mentioned in connection with the Nats during the meetings.
• The Twins are also seeking bullpen help, and they have an offer out to a free agent reliever, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. That’s not J.J. Hoover, whom they’re uninterested in but who’s “squarely in the mix” for the Brewers, per Wolfson. The Twins also weren’t in on Juan Nicasio before he signed with the Mariners on Wednesday, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes (Twitter links here).
• The sharks are circling the aforementioned Royals, who are looking to get their payroll below $110MM, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). As things stand, K.C. will be north of that amount, so clearly the club will need to pare back. GM Dayton Moore discussed the situation on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link), saying there’s a need to rebuild the team’s farm while also not giving up on the possibility of retaining top free agents or otherwise remaining competitive.
• Free agent catcher Nick Hundley told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle he’s “optimistic” that he’ll re-sign with the Giants (Twitter link). Hundley, 34, inked a $2MM deal to serve as Buster Posey’s backup last winter and proceeded to hit .244/.272/.418 in 303 in plate appearances. He was a mixed bag defensively, throwing 29 percent of would-be base stealers but earning minus marks as a pitch framer.
• Still looking for rotation pieces, the Reds could have some interest in veteran free agent Yovani Gallardo, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Gallardo is coming off a miserable two-season stretch in which he posted a 5.57 ERA and log 6.48 K/9 against 4.38 BB/9 across 248 2/3 innings with Baltimore and Seattle.

Iwakuma, 37 in April, has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Mariners.  Two years ago, he was on the verge of a free agent contract with the Dodgers before they backed out, resulting in Iwakuma returning to Seattle on a one-year deal with a vesting option.  The option for 2017 did vest, but the righty made only six starts this year before succumbing to a shoulder injury.  While the injury was not initially thought to be a season-ender, Iwakuma never made it back to a big league mound and wound up having arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September.  The procedure has at least a five-month recovery time and it appears he does plan to continue pitching.

Gallardo, a longtime Brewer, was traded by the Orioles to the Mariners in January for Seth Smith.  Gallardo failed to rebound from his ugly 2016 season, posting even worse numbers this year and earning a temporary bullpen banishment in June.  The 31-year-old righty managed only five quality starts in 22 tries.  Both Iwakuma and Gallardo may be relegated to minor league deals this winter.

According to Bob Dutton of The News Tribune in an October article, “The Mariners’ rotation next year, at this point, projects as James Paxton, Felix Hernandez, Mike Leake and two from a collection that includes Erasmo Ramirez, Ariel Miranda, Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore.”  Dutton noted that the Mariners will be one of the many teams pursuing Shohei Otani, should he come over, but otherwise the team may not necessarily pursue a rotation upgrade.

“He’s been the definition of steady since entering the system,” GM Jerry Dipoto said of Moore, a 2015 second-rounder (link via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune). “…He’s earned an opportunity to pitch here.”

Seattle is expecting Felix Hernandez to come off the disabled list on Thursday, according to Johns, and he’ll join Moore, James Paxton, Ariel Miranda and Sam Gaviglio in the rotation for the time being. Hisashi Iwakuma is also nearing a return and could push either Gaviglio or Miranda out of a starting role, though he’s still slated to make one more rehab start in Triple-A, Johns writes. Johns also tweets an update on left-hander Drew Smyly, who is set to face live hitters on Saturday and has been progressing well through bullpen sessions.

[Related: Updated Seattle Mariners depth chart]

Acquired in a one-for-one swap that sent Seth Smith to the Orioles this offseason, Gallardo was passable for his first eight turns this season (4.53 ERA in 45 2/3 innings), but he’s been shelled for 30 runs in his past 30 innings. He’s made modest improvements in his K/9 rate (6.8), BB/9 rate (3.8) and ground-ball rate (46.3 percent) in 2017, though ERA alternatives such as FIP, xFIP and SIERA all peg him in the upper-4.00s.

While the results from Gallardo certainly aren’t what the Mariners hoped when rolling the dice on him as a rebound candidate, the offseason trade amounted to little more than a means of jettisoning Smith in favor of more defensively gifted outfield options such as Jarrod Dyson, Mitch Haniger and Ben Gamel. The two had reasonably comparable salaries, so the Mariners effectively took a one-year, $4MM gamble on Gallardo. That hasn’t panned out to date, while Smith has been a productive bat in Baltimore (.272/.350/.463).

As for Moore, he’ll jump into the rotation and hope to lock down a long-term spot among the Mariners’ starting five. He’s the organization’s No. 4 prospect, per MLB.com, and he entered the year rated seventh among Seattle farmhands by ESPN’s Keith Law, fifth by Baseball Prospectus, fifth by Fangraphs and sixth by Baseball America. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note that Moore has excellent spin rate on his 89-92 mph fastball, allowing him to generate swings and misses up in the zone despite the lack of velocity. While the scouting reports on him agree that he doesn’t come with a huge ceiling, there’s a consensus that he has a strong chance of becoming a reliable fourth or fifth starter that fills up the strike zone.

Through a combined 82 2/3 innings between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma this season, Moore has posted an excellent 2.72 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9.