Players react to Gallardo deal

SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Trumbo and Trey Mancini showed up in the clubhouse today, two more early arrivals in camp. Position players aren't due until Tuesday.

The early returns on Yovani Gallardo's arrival later this week are favorable. Players are excited to add a veteran starter with a track record, someone who can provide wins, innings and leadership. Here are some of the reactions, beginning with J.J. Hardy, Gallardo's teammate for three seasons in Milwaukee:

Hardy: "He's an awesome guy. Good pitcher. Obviously, you guys can see his numbers. He's only had one losing season in, what is it, nine years? Great guy, great teammate. He'll fit right in.

"It's great. I think he'll fit right in with everybody and it's nice to just have another arm. We have a lot of good arms and everybody is capable of being really good and he'll be a great addition."

Matt Wieters: "He's proven year in and year out he's going to be able to compete and give you a chance to win games. From watching from the other side, watching him on the mound, I love the guy's mentality on the mound and how he goes after it. He's as consistent a starter as there's been. Not only does it help our staff because he's a great pitcher, it also makes the staff that much deeper and everybody feed off each other."

Kevin Gausman: "I think his last seven seasons he's thrown at least 190 innings, or something like that. To have a guy who's been there and done that season after season is only going make us better. I think it makes our rotation a lot better. It also gives us a bunch of different looks. He's a really over-the-top guy, arm angle-wise. Good breaking ball. I know he has a real good fastball. I know it will play well in Camden Yards.

"I think someone told me his splits, American League and National League, are really good. Anytime a guy can pitch well in the American League, he's done it before, so we're looking forward to him doing it again.

"In 2012, they got a taste of it. I was actually in (instructional league) watching them play the Yankees. That was really cool. Obviously, 2014. I think they're just ready to win. They like it. They like having the ballpark full, and we do, too. We're obviously very excited."

Caleb Joseph: "Just looking at some of the numbers here. We've seen him over the years in Milwaukee and of course last year in Texas. Especially in the playoffs, it was impressive to watch him kind of go through that Toronto lineup last year. He's one of those guys with seven straight years of 30 (or more) starts. A lot of innings. That's a piece we need in the rotation, and he provides a lot of experience. He'll provide stability. Another veteran presence. I think it's a really solid pickup for the team, for sure."

Chris Tillman: "I don't know a lot about him, but I know he does the job and does the job well. We've got a couple guys who have been around him and I've heard nothing but great things. It's exciting, it really is. I found out from other players who texted me. I think they're excited. We're all excited."

Ubaldo Jimenez: "We'll receive him with happiness. I've known him since I played against him in Triple-A and in the majors, so I know him a little bit. He's a great guy, a great competitor. He's going to go out there and try to do everything to win his game. Especially if we play against the National League, they better be careful because he can make his own runs.

"I'll do everything possible to make him feel comfortable. I know him a little bit. Once you get into the clubhouse and know someone, it makes it easier because you aren't going to be so tight in the clubhouse."

The Orioles have spent about $250 million on free agents this winter and are trying to complete a deal with outfielder Dexter Fowler. The current payroll is around $150 million and it's going up.

Hardy: "It's letting all of us know that the front office is all-in, too. Everybody is all-in, so it's good. It's good to be a player here. That's why I wanted to stay back because I felt they were going to do everything they possibly could to make this team as good as possible and that's what they're doing."

Wieters: "I think it says a lot about the commitment to winning. We were able to get a lot of guys back from last year's team who we didn't know would be back and to be able to add on top of that definitely lets you know that ownership is ready to win now, which is a great feeling being in the clubhouse."

Joseph: "It shows a commitment that ownership has to the team to winning, to getting back to the playoffs. I think in 2014 it was just another great reminder that this city actually is a baseball city, and the fans, they want to get behind you and they want to get out there and support you from Day 1 to playoff baseball. And they get just as excited about playoff baseball as any city I've ever seen. The commitment that ownership is making to the team now and the team in the future is exciting. It's exciting to be a part of and it's a good time to be an Oriole for sure."

Gausman: "Yeah, it's been awesome. I think we're talking about going and getting another guy right now, too. It shows the last couple of years they've been liking having the fan base back. It's weird because for now this is kind of all I've known is us being really good, so I've been spoiled, I guess."

Jimenez: "They want to win. They aren't waiting around to have a great team to give us an opportunity to be better and go after winning the championship."

The rotation will have five right-handers with Gallardo, Tillman, Jimenez, Gausman and Miguel Gonzalez.

Wieters: "For me as a catcher, if you can get guys out, I don't care whether you throw right-handed or left-handed or you kick it up there with your foot. If you can get guys out, we'll put you on the mound."

Joseph: "I heard what Buck (Showalter) and Dave (Wallace) and Dom (Chiti) were saying. They'd rather have five solid righties than one average lefty, and I have to agree with them on that. Honestly, I don't know. I've never not had a left-hander in a rotation before. But these guys are proven veteran pitchers on our team. They can get both left-handers and right-handers out. They've got the stuff to combat an all left-handed lineup. For me, it doesn't make a difference."

Gausman: "I wouldn't say it's unusual. I would say you see it much more nowadays. Obviously, it's more rare to see all lefties. I think the Dodgers have all left-handed starters, I believe, but yeah, obviously it's a different look, but we have a lot of left-handed weapons coming out of the 'pen. If you think about (Brian) Matusz and (Zach) Britton and T.J. (McFarland), those guys are all very good left-handed sinkerballers. It's kind of a different look, obviously. I think picking him up makes the team a lot better."

Does the Gallardo signing and continued pursuit of Fowler remind anyone of 2014, when the Orioles added Jimenez and Nelson Cruz after reporting to camp?

Wieters: "As far as 2014 and this year, every year kind of feels a little bit different. I feel like those signings were more out of the blue and we weren't really hearing about it a lot, as opposed to Yovani and the outfielder we've been hearing about for the last two or three weeks it seems like. Every year kind of feels a little bit different, so I don't really see the comparisons. You really can't compare years until the year's over anyway."

Gallardo is the active leader among pitchers with 12 home runs.

Hardy: "Yeah, he can hit. I remember, I think it was against San Francisco, he threw a shutout and hit a solo homer to win the game. Yeah, he can hit."

The Orioles don't see a downside to adding a veteran.

Tillman: "I don't see why it wouldn't help. Anytime you have those guys around, it's a guy thing. I think we saw that with (Jason) Hammel and Ubaldo and prior to that, (Kevin) Millwood."

How many guys actually believed in October that Wieters, Chris Davis and Darren O'Day would return, Trumbo would be acquired in a trade, the club would sign Gallardo and Hyun Soo Kim and they'd make a strong run at Fowler or another outfielder?

Wieters: "I would have been hopeful for it. I don't know that I would have had the (Magic) 8 ball to say this would have happened or the crystal ball that said this was going to happen. But I'm excited by how it's gone so far. But no matter what players you bring in, there's still a lot of work to get done to be able to have a good year."

What about predictions earlier this winter that the Orioles would finish in last place and how they received a failing grade for their offseason?

Wieters: "I've learned to kind of stay away from reading a lot of stuff early in the offseason because unless you decide to take the qualifying offer, a lot of things take place a lot later in the offseason. What gets written, we can only function once a guy gets in this clubhouse. As soon as somebody gets in this clubhouse, we're going to welcome him and see how we can help him and he can help us win games."