Pending free agents and tonight's game

With Delmon Young designated for assignment yesterday, the Orioles are down to eight pending free agents on their roster. They began the season with 11.

Young, reliever Ryan Webb and outfielder Alejandro De Aza have been subtracted. The list still includes pitchers Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris, Darren O'Day, Tommy Hunter and Wesley Wright, catcher Matt Wieters, first baseman Chris Davis and outfielder Steve Pearce.

I'm listing Davis as a first baseman, but he's made five starts in right field.

Wright tends to be forgotten because he made two April appearances for the Orioles and flew down to Sarasota with a strained left trapezius muscle. (And boy, were his arms tired.) He won't be re-signed over the winter, but he's close to beginning an injury rehab assignment and might contribute in 2015.

Chen lowered his ERA last night to 2.84 in 95 innings. I've heard from fans suggesting that the Orioles trade him at the non-waiver deadline since he's not expected to re-sign with the club. May as well get something back for him and start preparing for 2016.

I'll repeat that it makes no sense for a first-place club to deal its top pitcher and other important pieces based on contract status. The Orioles are going for it again. They're not going to compromise their 2015 season because guys like Chen, catcher Matt Wieters and first baseman Chris Davis could be wearing different uniforms next spring.

I asked manager Buck Showalter how he would address that argument.

"Short conversation," he replied. "He can help us win a championship and he'll be here. There aren't many left-handed starters who are in the top 10 in ERA floating around and we couldn't trade him for someone better.

"We're trying to win today, tomorrow, the next day, and we've got some depth there and he's part of it. Last thing you ever want to do is trade starting pitching depth. That is a recipe for failure."

Speaking of starting pitching depth, another roster move is coming today with the Orioles recalling Kevin Gausman from Triple-A Norfolk. He was in the clubhouse yesterday.

Tyler Wilson is expected to be optioned back down to Triple-A Norfolk. He came up yesterday as a long reliever behind Chen, but he wasn't needed.

Gausman is making his second start of the season after surrendering two runs and four hits over five innings on June 20 in Toronto. He's faced the Rangers once in his career, working 1 2/3 innings in relief and allowing two runs and two hits. Prince Fielder is 1-for-2 with a home run.

Left-handers are batting .360 (9-for-25) with three doubles and a home run against Gausman. Right-handers are batting .154 (6-for-39) with a double and home run.

The Orioles will have their hands full with Rangers right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who got my vote for American League Pitcher of the Month for June. He didn't allow a run in four of his five starts last month. He surrendered two runs and 20 hits in 33 1/3 innings, with nine walks and 25 strikeouts.

Gallardo has registered 10 quality starts out of 16 outings this year. His only career start against the Orioles came on May 28, 2014 while pitching for the Brewers, when he allowed three runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. Nelson Cruz homered twice off him.

Too soon?

The current Orioles are 7-for-44 vs. Gallardo. Young is 0-for-11, but we no longer count him.

Pearce is 2-for-14 with a home run and five strikeouts, and Travis Snider is 3-for-14. Ubaldo Jimenez is 1-for-3 with an RBI, but I don't anticipate him swinging a bat in this series.