Blue Jays trade deadline target: Zac Gallen

Zac Gallen is one of numerous pitchers who could be a fit for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Funnily enough, he and Sandy Alcántara (whom we looked at the other day) were once involved in a trade together from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Miami Marlins for another player who could be on the move, Marcell Ozuna. Gallen was later traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Gallen is one of many starters who could find themselves on a new team by the time Thursday is done. Let’s profile the right-handed pitcher.

Scouting report

Standing at 6’2”, 189 lbs, Gallen was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Cardinals, before being traded after the 2017 season to the Marlins. At the 2019 trade deadline, Gallen was traded to the Diamondbacks, where he has since flourished.

In 2020, just his second season in the big leagues, Gallen finished with a 2.75 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 72 innings pitched, earning National League Cy Young votes and finishing ninth. His first full season was in 2021, where he had a 4.30 ERA in 121.1 innings pitched, Gallen’s worst season until 2025.

The righty returned to form in 2022, posting a 2.54 ERA and a 3.05 FIP in 184 innings pitched, finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting. In 2023, Gallen finished with a 3.47 ERA and 3.26 FIP in 210 innings pitched, making his first and only All-Star Game, finishing third in Cy Young voting, and even earning MVP votes.

Last season, Gallen had a 3.65 ERA and 3.38 FIP in 148 innings pitched, but has struggled so far in 2025, as he has a 5.60 ERA and 4.74 FIP in 127 innings pitched. This season, he’s had a career-worst 22.1 K%, while his BB% sits at 8.6%, slightly above his career norm.

Gallen’s four-seam fastball sits at 93.3 mph, and he features a six-pitch mix, including a curveball, changeup, cutter, slider, and sinker. The stuff is still good, but Gallen is getting hit hard, with an average exit velocity of 91.1 mph according to Baseball Savant.

Contract situation

Unlike Alcántara, Gallen doesn’t have an additional year on his contract, meaning the 29-year-old will be a free agent after the 2025 season. This season, Gallen earns $13.5 million towards both payroll and luxury tax.

According to Fangraphs’ roster resource, the Blue Jays have an expected luxury tax of $278 million, meaning if they add just $3 million more, their first-round pick will drop 10 picks in the 2026 draft.

How does Gallen help the Blue Jays?

As of right now, the Blue Jays’ rotation consists of Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, and Eric Lauer. Adding another starter at the deadline likely means Lauer moves into a bulk role in the rotation, which may not be the ideal option given that he has the best ERA of the five starters.

Still, that shouldn’t deter the Jays from adding a starter, because both Scherzer and Bassitt are free agents after the season, while both Gausman and Berríos have contracts that end or could end after the 2026 season.

That said, Gallen is set to become a free agent after the season, so trading him is a short-term option. Even then, it’s probably not the right decision, as Gallen has struggled mightily this season.