Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Zac Gallen

Since being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2019 for Jazz Chisholm Jr., Zac Gallen has emerged as one of the most consistent and reliable starting pitchers in baseball. With a career ERA under 3.60, the D-backs couldn’t have asked for a better ace.

Unfortunately, the 2025 season took a whole different turn for Gallen. In what might have been his last year playing for the D-backs, he put up the worst season of his career, taking massive steps back in nearly every area of his game.

He posted a career-high ERA of 4.83 while barely reaching the 1.0 fWAR mark. Gallen also allowed the most barrels of his career (55), as he truly lost his ability to limit hard contact.

As a result, the D-backs held onto him at this year’s trade deadline rather than dealing him away during his final year under contract. This came as a surprise, as it seemed like Gallen was likely going to be one of the biggest pieces on the move in late July.

Now, the club faces a difficult decision, with Gallen set to test the open market for the first time in his career.

Due to his previous consistency, Gallen should still be one of the more coveted starting pitchers on this year’s free agent market. With many teams seeking upgrades to their rotations, Gallen has the potential to see an all-out battle for his talents in the coming months.

Free Agent Profile: Zac Gallen

• Age in 2026: 30
• 2025 Stats: 33 GS, 192 IP, 4.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 4.50 FIP, 8.20 K/9, 3.09 BB/9
• 2025 Salary: $13.5 million
• Qualifying Offer Eligible: Yes

Contract Projection

• Contract Length Expectation: 3-6 years
• Expected AAV: $20-30 million

Yet, Gallen will enter free agency in a very unique situation due to his poor performance last season. The reality of the matter is that he may struggle to fetch the price he was expecting a year ago, but teams will still be eager for the opportunity to ink Gallen to a deal.

The compromise will likely come in the length of his contract, as a team may be more willing to offer him a shorter-term “prove it” deal. With Gallen’s agent being Scott Boras, we could see a deal similar to Blake Snell’s two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants.

If Gallen signs a deal like this, it’ll likely be closer to the two or three-year range, for a significant chunk less than Snell commanded. Gallen would also likely get an opt-out after the first year, giving himself the ability to test the market again following a stronger season.

Teams will have a lot to consider when deciding what they’re willing to offer Gallen. For example, his curveball lost all of its effectiveness this past season, as it went from one of the best pitches in his arsenal to one of his worst offerings. Opponents improved their hard-hit rate against it by 14%, which is a super alarming sign.

Something else to note, though, is that Gallen took a step closer to his old self following the trade deadline. In the second half, Gallen lowered his ERA to 3.32, as he regained the sharpness of his pitches that made him so dominant in past seasons.

When teams are deciding how much money they’re willing to commit to him, all of these things will be valuable to consider. If Gallen can rebound to his consistent form, he’ll be worth every penny of his contract. If not, his new team might regret putting that much money on the books.

Free Agent Landing Spots for Zac Gallen

Arizona Diamondbacks

Following the 2025 season, Zac Gallen and the D-backs both expressed interest in a reunion, and a deal may come to fruition. Gallen has been the most consistent arm in their rotation for parts of the last seven seasons, and having him depart would be a huge loss.

With Corbin Burnes expected to miss significant time at the beginning of 2026, this puts the D-backs in a tough position if they lose Gallen.

As things currently stand, Ryne Nelson is expected to be the ace next year after producing a 3.39 ERA in 23 starts this past season. Outside of Nelson, the rest of the arms in their rotation either threw to an ERA above 5.00 in 2025 or spent little time in the big leagues.

The D-backs need to find an arm who can hold down significant innings at the very least. Ideally, they want to add a legitimate postseason starter.

It’s almost a guarantee that the D-backs will extend a qualifying offer to Gallen, but it seems highly unlikely he’ll accept it. However, this doesn’t mean hope for a deal is lost, as a reunion still seems like it could be a likely outcome.

The D-backs almost need to retain their ace if they want any hope at putting together a solid rotation next season. With so many questions looming for their pitching staff, having Gallen return and find his old form would put them in a much more comfortable position.

Chicago Cubs

Although the offseason has yet to begin, the Chicago Cubs have already been heavily tied to some of the best pitchers on the market, as they will look to make a significant upgrade in their rotation. Gallen could be the perfect piece to add to this mix, as he would bring ace upside without the significant price tag some of the other top starters would command.

The Cubs’ rotation is in an interesting place heading into the offseason. They have a complicated decision to make with Shota Imanaga’s looming option, which is a three-year commitment for just over $58 million.

Despite his solid first two seasons in the big leagues, the Cubs could choose to decline this option. Imanaga regressed slightly from his rookie season in 2025, while also missing significant time due to an injury, and they’ll have to decide if he’s reliable enough to make a three-year commitment.

At the very least, the Cubs will have Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd at the top of their rotation heading into next season. This is a good starting point, with Horton looking like a legitimate ace and Boyd pitching arguably the best year of his career this past year.

Outside of that, Chicago’s projected rotation is in a tricky place. Jameson Taillon will offer solid innings in the middle of the rotation, but the Cubs don’t have two clear choices to hold down the back end.

If they sign Gallen, he would easily slot in near the front of the rotation, giving them the upside of a potential ace and the ability to be more crafty with their starters. Assuming he’s willing to sign a shorter-term, “prove it” deal, Gallen would be the perfect gamble for the Cubs to take.

Houston Astros

After eight straight postseason appearances, the streak snapped for the Houston Astros this season. With the club falling short in 2025, they have some massive questions looming this offseason, and with Framber Valdez likely departing, bolstering their rotation will be at the very top of their to-do list.

As things currently stand, the Astros are going to struggle to put together five solid arms next season. Outside of Hunter Brown, who had an excellent 2025 campaign, none of the Astros’ other four projected starters for next year threw more than 77.1 innings, with all of them struggling in the limited time they spent on the field.

This could create a perfect opportunity for the Astros to add Gallen. Valdez will cost a significant amount more than Gallen to retain, but there’s serious ace-level upside in the latter. Early projections have Valdez making upwards of $30 million over several years, which is likely far more than it would cost for the ‘Stros to land Gallen.

With multiple of the Astros’ top starters recovering from Tommy John surgery, they may be more hesitant to make a long-term commitment to a starting pitcher. This is another reason why Gallen seems to be a perfect fit, as a short-term deal with an option could be the perfect route to take.

The Astros have also consistently been one of the best organizations in baseball for pitching development, meaning there’s a chance they could help Gallen return to his old form.

By inking Gallen, the Astros’ rotation would suffer a lot less with the likely departure of Valdez. They could add him for less money and still potentially see similar results.

Toronto Blue Jays

The 2025 season has been a total success for the Toronto Blue Jays. Going from last place in their division to winning the American League pennant, they truly couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. However, heading into the offseason, they have some questions to address, from Bo Bichette’s expiring contract to their pitching staff.

Although their rotation has been very good, the Blue Jays are set to lose both Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt in free agency. Also, there’s a strong chance Shane Bieber declines his player option and tests the market as well. This leaves Toronto’s pitching staff with some significant holes, and Gallen could be the perfect player to fill in.

It’s no secret that the Jays have been very willing to spend money over the past few offseasons. They were in the pursuit of both Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, yet failed to land either player. They also handed out a $500 million extension to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., inked Anthony Santander to a $92.5 million deal, and have expressed a desire to keep trying to spend.

Moreover, through successes like Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays have shown they’re capable of getting the most out of their pitchers.

This gives them the perfect opportunity to sign Gallen and try to tap into his past consistency. If they can do so, adding a reliable arm to this rotation in the wake of multiple potential free agent losses would be massive for them heading into next season.

Baltimore Orioles

Unlike for the Toronto Blue Jays, the 2025 season was a nightmare for the Baltimore Orioles. After back-to-back playoff appearances, the Orioles finished 75-87 and missed the postseason. For the second offseason in a row, the Orioles have to act, or else they run the risk of wasting their young core.

One of the main storylines last offseason was that the Orioles desperately needed to address their pitching staff. They failed to address this issue, and it’s only going to worsen this offseason with the potential departure of Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano in free agency.

With the Orioles needing to upgrade their pitching staff, Gallen appears to be a solid candidate to fill one of their vacancies. While the O’s have been hesitant to spend, Gallen’s contract likely won’t break the bank, making him the perfect candidate if they choose to sign a higher-upside starter.

The Orioles desperately need to get a consistent arm in this group as well, and prior to this season, Gallen was one of the most consistent arms in the sport. If he can come to Baltimore and find the old version of himself again, he could form a dangerous trio with Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers at the front of this rotation.

Although only time will tell if this partnership actually comes to fruition, if it does, it could be one of the best fits on the free agent market this offseason.