The starting rotation for the Chicago Cubs isn’t just hurting — it’s holding them hostage.
While a league-leading offense has Chicago entertaining serious postseason aspirations, a decimated pitching staff threatens to undo it all. Justin Steele is out for the season; Javiar Assad is out for the foreseeable future; Shota Imanaga is out until at least the end of June.
The Cubs need reinforcements now. And as the trade deadline creeps closer, one name is starting to make more and more sense for Jed Hoyer and company: Zac Gallen.
It might sound too good to be true. After all, Gallen was Arizona’s Opening Day starter, the ace of a staff that went to the World Series in 2023.
But Gallen, who turns 30 in August, will be a free agent after this season, and unfortunately for him, Gallen is struggling during his walk year.
Zac Gallen Could be Available Given Arizona’s Struggles
After three consecutive seasons of double-digit wins and sub-.400 ERAs, including a 2023 campaign in which he went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young voting, Gallen is 3-7 with a 5.54 ERA after 12 starts. In 66.2 innings, Gallen has given up 61 hits and 32 walks with 66 strikeouts.
“It’s just frustrating,” he said after a recent loss.
But Gallen isn’t alone in his struggles.
Thought to be a playoff contender before the season began, Arizona is 28-31 overall, 7.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and 5.0 games out in the wild card chase. It’s gotten to the point where Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago, joining the Kap and J. Hood show on ESPN 1000, said there could be a few pending free agents from the Diamondbacks pitching staff made available before the trade deadline.
“I think, I truly think there’s going to be a new player in the seller’s market, one I would have never predicted, and that is the Arizona Diamondbacks,” Rogers said.
“They’re going backwards, and think about this: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are free agents, both at the end of this year. How would one of those guys look in a Cubs uniform? So this is a huge developing story in my mind when it comes to the trade deadline.”
Zac Gallen Pegged as Top Trade Target This Season
Rogers isn’t alone in his thinking.
The team at YardBarker selected Gallen as Arizona’s “most tradable asset” for the upcoming deadline. And Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report released “The Updated 2025 MLB Trade Deadline Big Board” on Tuesday, listing Gallen as the No. 2 most coveted trade target this summer, behind Boston outfielder Jarren Duran.
“Things have taken a turn for the weird for Gallen since his sustained run as a Cy Young-caliber ace between 2020 and 2023,” Rymer wrote. “The 32 walks are especially out of character, and the decline in his fastball velocity to just 93.2 mph is also a concern. Yet the knuckle-curve and the changeup still play as bat-missing pitches, and the worst you’ll get with him is a guy who can give you six innings regularly. Like with [Miami Marlin pitcher Sandy] Alcantara, the best you’ll get is a No. 1.”
And right now, the Cubs could certainly use a No. 1. Heck, they could use a solid 3 at this rate, and given Gallen’s struggles and status as a rental, the cost may not be quite as high as one would expect for a potential Game 1 starter in a playoff series.
So if Gallen indeed is available, Chicago should make a call.
Cubs Urged to Take Advantage of ‘A Huge Developing Story’