Another look at new O's infielder Freddy Galvis

When the Orioles signed José Iglesias as their shortstop on Jan. 7, 2020, he had last played for the Cincinnati Reds. When they signed infielder Freddy Galvis to a one-year deal last night, he also joins the team from the Reds.

Galvis was a free agent and signed for one year at $1.5 million per various reports with a bonus of $250,000 if he gets traded. For the 2020 Reds, over 47 games, he hit .220/.308/.404 with seven homers, 16 RBIs and an OPS of .712. In the last full season of 2019, he played in 147 games between Toronto and Cincinnati and batted .260/.296/.438 with 28 doubles, a triple, 23 homers, 70 RBIs and an OPS of .734. That year, he posted career highs in homers, RBIs and OPS.

Galvis has made 779 career starts at shortstop, which included 31 last year when he also made 11 starts at second base for the Reds. He started 106 games at short in 2019. The 31-year-old switch-hitter ranked ninth among National League shortstops in 2020 in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and ranked ninth in the majors among qualified shortstops in DRS in 2019.

He becomes the favorite to win the starting shortstop job in Baltimore and executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias did in fact add a shortstop from outside the organization, as he said he intended to do.

More notes on Galvis:

* The Venezuela native played all 162 games in both 2017 for Philadelphia and in 2018 for San Diego. He had a streak of 349 consecutive games played - then the longest in the major leagues - end on April 24, 2019 while with Toronto.

* Galvis has played for four big league teams and spent his most time (six years) with Philadelphia. In 2017, he was the Phillies' recipient of the MLB Players Alumni Association Heart and Hustle Award, presented annually to an active player who demonstrates a passion for and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.

* He is the only player in major league history to hit grand slams for two teams in the same season, both as a shortstop. He did that in 2019, for Toronto and Cincinnati.

* From 2016 to 2018, Galvis was a Gold Glove finalist at short in the National League.

* In 2018, he led the majors with 1,441 innings in the field.

* In 2017, he led major league shortstops in fielding percentage (.989) and led NL shortstops in starts (155) and innings played (1,359).

* Galvis has three career grand slams, including one off former Oriole Jake Arrieta. He has two career walk-off homers, including one off Aroldis Chapman in 2013.

* He was originally signed by the Phillies as an international free agent, July 2, 2006. The signing scouts were Sal Agostinelli and Jesús Méndez.

* With the Phillies, Galvis was ranked among the club's top 30 prospects five times. His highest ranking was as their No. 6 prospect after the 2012 season.

For his career, Galvis has hit .247/.291/.385/.677 with an OPS+ of 82. For his career, Iglesias has hit .278/.319/.381/.700. with a career OPS+ of 88. Iglesias' career OPS before his big 2020 season at-bat with the Orioles was .687 with an OPS+ of 84.