Padres Linked to $13.5 Million All-Star From NL West Rival in Potential Blockbuster Trade

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan named Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen as a potential target for the San Diego Padres, who are short on starting pitching depth.

The Padres are without starters Michael King and Yu Darvish, both of whom are injured without timelines to return. All-Star Joe Musgrove is also out for the Padres, and will miss all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Gallen is in the final year of his contract with the Diamondbacks, and is posting career low numbers in nearly every category in 2025. He has a negative WAR for the first time in his career, has a 5.75 ERA, and is sitting well below league average with a 72 ERA+. His 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings are lower than they've ever been, and he has walked the most batters in the National League.

The right-hander has proven himself as an elite starter however, and the Padres may be able to fetch the All-Star for a discount due to his performances this season.

Gallen went on a strong three-season run from 2022-24, posting a 3.20 ERA across all three years. He had a collective ERA+ of 131, and had a WHIP just north of 1.000. Gallen made the All-Star game for the first time in 2023, when the D-backs eventually made the World Series, and placed third in NL Cy Young voting while also receiving MVP votes. He also placed fifth in NL Cy Young voting in 2022.

McDaniel and Passan don't believe Arizona are likely to trade Gallen, believing there is about a 30 percent chance of a deal due to general manager Mike Hazen's declaration that the team doesn't want to deal players at the deadline, however the Padres have more than enough assets to make it worth their rivals' while.

Gallen would provide a huge boost to the Padres, who are clinging onto a spot in the NL Wild Card. They currently possess the last spot in the NL after the San Francisco Giants lost to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday while Friars beat the Cincinnati Reds.

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