The 2025 season was a nightmare for Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen. He entered the year as a virtual lock to secure a nine-figure contract.
After having a 4.83 ERA and a 21.9% strikeout rate, his market has not developed by late January.
However, it appears there could be movement on Gallen’s market. Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed the Diamondbacks as a frontrunner to retain their Opening Day starter.
Bowden wrote, “The Diamondbacks would love to get him back and are considered the front-runners to re-sign him.”
The report is worth scrutinizing, considering Gallen’s agent is Scott Boras. Bowden listed the Orioles, Braves, Giants, and Tigers as other teams interested. However, Boras may wait until Valdez signs with a team, hoping to gin up Gallen’s market. But it could also be a case where the free-agent starter would like a quicker resolution.
Bowden’s colleague at The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal, spoke to an executive on the former Diamondbacks starter’s market. The executive, who requested anonymity to speak freely, said “Gallen might suffer from being one of the least attractive free agents among those who rejected qualifying offers.”
It’s also pretty telling that the Mets, who’ve carried a Top 2 payroll in each of the last four seasons, chose Freddy Peralta instead. However, it also creates the scenario where the Diamondbacks re-sign their Opening Day starter.
Diamondbacks Should Pursue Reunion with Zac Gallen
With a weaker market than expected, Gallen may resort to taking a pillow deal. With a better 2026 season and the qualifying offer no longer weighing him down, he may see a stronger market next year.
The Diamondbacks are also a bit short-handed on viable rotation options. They currently have a starting five of Merrill Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Michael Soroka. However, an injury to any of those five presents a disaster scenario that could undermine their entire season.
That’s where bringing back Gallen makes sense. The Diamondbacks do not have to forfeit any draft picks to sign him. While they won’t receive a draft pick, a bounce-back year from Gallen provides Arizona with more value. Steamer currently projects him to put up 2.3 WAR in 2026.
If the Diamondbacks re-sign Gallen, that creates competition for the final rotation spot between Pfaadt and Soroka. The loser of the competition would start the season as a long reliever. Given Soroka and Rodriguez’s injury history, Arizona will need at least seven starters to get through the 2026 season.
If the team struggles again in 2026, the Diamondbacks could just move Gallen for whatever return they can get at the deadline.
What the Diamondbacks Should Offer Zac Gallen
The right type of contract for Gallen gives him some longer-term assurances but also an opportunity to re-enter the market next winter. A two or three-year deal with an opt-out after one makes the most sense.
The Athletic‘s Tim Britton projects a two-year, $42 million contract for Gallen. Britton also listed the Diamondbacks as one of the top free-agent fits. FanGraphs’ median crowd-sourced projection has him getting two years and $44 million. Arizona could add a third year, which creates a scenario in which they either re-sign Gallen or net a first-round pick.
On Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo for January 21, show hosts Dave Burns and John Gambadoro broached that subject. Burns noted the benefits are insane, and Gallen serves as an insurance policy for Corbin Burnes. Burnes is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
With the Diamondbacks trying to keep their competitive window open, they can’t afford another lost season. With the team so close to a rotation disaster, it makes sense for them to jump into the market to retain Gallen.
Marquee Network analyst Lance Brozdowski noted two areas of improvement for Gallen. The first is improving his barrel rate against right-handed hitters, which came in at 11.7% in 2025. The other is adding more swing-and-miss vs. left-handed hitters. Gallen induced a whiff on 10.9% of his pitches and 24.9% of swings vs. lefties.
If Gallen can address both of those issues, he should have the bounce-back season he needs. At just 30 years old, there’s still a possibility he can land that big contract with a better platform season.
Collapsing Market Could Push Zac Gallen Back to Diamondbacks