Cameron Joseph Gallagher (born December 6, 1992) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

and

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...

Professional career

Kansas City Royals

Gallagher was drafted by the

in the second round of the 2011 MLB draft out of Manheim Township High School in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

. The Royals added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season. The Royals promoted Gallagher to the 25-man roster to replace the injured Salvador Pérez on August 6, 2017. He made his MLB debut the same day in the second game of a doubleheader against the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, collecting his first MLB hit. He hit his first MLB home run on August 14, 2017 against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

, a grand slam. In 2018, Gallagher batted .206/.250/.302 for the Royals with 1 home run and 7 RBI in 63 at bats. Gallagher played in 45 contests in 2019, slashing .238/.312/.365 with career-highs in home runs (3) and RBI (12). On July 11, 2020, it was announced that Gallagher had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Overall with the 2020 Kansas City Royals, Gallagher batted .283 with one home run and 3 RBIs in 25 games. In 2021, he batted .250/.298/.330 with one home run and 7 RBIs in 112 at bats.

San Diego Padres

On August 2, 2022, Gallagher was traded to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

in exchange for

Brent Rooker Terry Brent Rooker Jr. (born November 1, 1994) is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the Athletics (baseball), Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, ...

. In 16 games for the Triple–A

El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team based in El Paso, Texas. The Chihuahuas compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) as the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Sou ...

, he batted .255/.318/.382 with one home run and 10 RBI. On September 9, Gallagher was designated for assignment by San Diego.

Baltimore Orioles

On September 11, 2022, Gallagher was claimed off waivers by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. He appeared in 5 games for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

, going 1-for-17 (.059) with 3 RBI and 3 walks. On November 8, Gallagher was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A, however he rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

Cleveland Guardians

On January 4, 2023, Gallagher signed a minor league contract with the

. The deal included an invitation to the Guardians' 2023 major league spring training camp. The Guardians selected Gallagher's contract on March 30, 2023 after it was announced that he had made the

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. In 56 games for Cleveland, he batted .126/.154/.168 with no home runs and 7 RBI. Following the season on November 6, Gallagher was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

following the waiver claim of Christian Bethancourt. He elected free agency on November 10.

Philadelphia Phillies

On February 25, 2024, Gallagher signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

. He did not appear in a game for the organization after being placed on the restricted list to begin the season. Gallagher was released by the Phillies organization on June 1.

References

External links

Cam Gallagher
at Baseball Almanac {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Cam 1992 births Living people Burlington Royals players Cleveland Guardians players Gulf Coast Royals players Idaho Falls Chukars players Kansas City Royals players Lexington Legends players Major League Baseball catchers Baseball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Storm Chasers players Baseball players from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Surprise Saguaros players United States national baseball team players Wilmington Blue Rocks players