With his velocity down by about two mph from his old norms, Gallegos had a 6.53 ERA in 20 2/3 innings before the Cardinals dropped him in July. He was pretty terrific the previous five years, racking up 43 saves and 76 holds while amassing a 3.14 ERA in 283 innings for the Cardinals from 2019-23. If he looks good in spring training, he’ll likely claim a spot in the Dodger pen.

Gallegos, who possesses a 3.49 ERA in 311 career relief appearances, had a rocky year that saw him get released by the Cardinals with two months to go, but it still seemed like his history might get him a guaranteed deal this winter. Perhaps it still might have eventually, but he’s decided against playing the waiting game and joined a team that has a better chance than most of helping him get things turned around.

Gallegos heads to Minnesota as extra organizational relief depth after going unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week by the Cardinals. The 32-year-old former high-leverage specialist struggled this season to a bloated 6.53 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 21/10 K/BB ratio across 20 2/3 innings (21 appearances) this season. He’s made 311 relief appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2017.

Gallegos went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Cardinals and has now elected free agency. He had a 6.53 ERA in 21 games with St. Louis this year. He’s free to sign with any team at this point.