Dan Szymborski: Fowler and Gallardo Not Worth Draft Picks
ESPN's Dan Szymborski joined the Scott Garceau Show with Jeremy Conn to talk about the Orioles remaining off-season options.
The Orioles have reportedly been interested in signing free agents Yovani Gallardo and Dexter Fowler. The catch twenty-two of those signings is that it would cost the Orioles their 14th and 29th overall picks. Jeremy Conn asked Dan how much better the Orioles would be if they were to sign both free agents, "at this point in the off-season it's really hard to make significant signings that really push your team that far ahead. I'm a fan of Dexter Fowler. I think he's a better fit for a team that needs a Center Fielder because he gets a lot of his value from being able to play Center Field and he's not going to play Center Field in Baltimore with Adam Jones in town." When it comes to Gallardo, Dan said, "I'm not as big a fan of. Simply put: he had a good ERA last year but there are some danger signs lurking in his peripheral stats. He's lost literally a third of his strikeout rate in four seasons and that is usually not a good long term sign."
The Orioles farm system currently ranks near the bottom of the league when it comes to overall skill. It's hard to imagine the farm system getting any better if the Orioles decide to sign Gallardo and Fowler, forcing them to forfeit the 14th and 29th overall picks. Dan Szymborski expressed his concern, "When you are giving up a first round draft pick you also want to make sure you're giving it up for a player that can make a real difference. When you're giving it up for a second or third tier free agent, that's very concerning because neither Fowler or Gallardo put the Orioles in that much better of a position than they are now."
Listen to the full interview here and don't forget to follow Scott, Jeremy and Dan on twitter: @ScottGShow1057, @JeremyConn1057 and @DSzymborski.
