Cardinals Sign Elite Reliever To Multi-Year Extension

The St. Louis Cardinals have reached agreement to lock up a key member of its bullpen for another two years, with an option on a 3rd year for 2025.

We have signed RHP Giovanny Gallegos to a two-year contract extension (2023-2024) with a club option for 2025. pic.twitter.com/Bb4qn059S0
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 3, 2022

The deal buys out Gallego's last two years of arbitration and gives the club an option over his first year of free agency.

Terms of the agreement have yet to be announced, but it's sure to be a raise from the $2.41M contract he signed to avoid arbitration before the season.

The 31-year-old has racked up 14 saves for the Cards in a high-leverage role for the second straight season. He has a 2.91 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, with a 72:15 K/BB ratio.

In his five years in St. Louis, he's amassed a 2.79 ERA with 283 strikeouts in 229.1 innings. And his numbers put him among an elite group of relievers in that time.

Since 2018, here are the MLB leaders in WAR among relievers.
1. Liam Hendriks (9.5)
2. Ryan Pressly (6.0)
T3. Josh Hader (5.9)
T3. Raisel Iglesias (5.9)
T5. Giovanny Gallegos (5.8)
T5. Edwin Diaz (5.8).

Awesome extension for the #stlcards
— Joshua Jacobs (@joshjaco2) October 3, 2022