Twins sign veteran reliever released by Cardinals to minor league deal

The Minnesota Twins recently added some pitching depth to their organization.

Right-hander Giovanny Gallegos was released by the St. Louis Cardinals after they had designated the veteran reliever for assignment. They were unable to find somebody to claim him off of waivers.

However, the Twins have decided to take a chance on him, per Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors.

"The Twins have signed veteran right-hander Giovanny Gallegos to a minor league deal, per a club announcement," Deeds wrote. "Gallegos has been assigned to Triple-A."

Gallegos had a difficult stretch with the Cardinals this year. The 32-year-old went 2-1 with a 6.53 ERA and also posted a WAR of -0.3.

However, Gallegos had a mostly good run with the Cardinals, who acquired him from the New York Yankees in 2018 in exchange for Luke Voit. In 2019 he emerged as a key piece in the back end of their bullpen, posting a career-best 2.31 ERA.

He ultimately spent parts of seven seasons with the Cardinals. He began to struggle in 2023 when he posted a 4.42 ERA, but his run with the Cardinals was mostly successful. He helped them reach the postseason from 2019-22 and even briefly served as the team's closer, forming a strong late-inning one-two punch with Ryan Helsley.

We'll see if he can ultimately find his way back to Major League Baseball with the Twins. Minnesota currently sits in the second American League Wild Card spot.

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