The New York Mets are going to be one of MLB’s biggest spenders again this offseason. They have already dished out lucrative extensions to Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver. They don’t appear to be done making moves either, especially with such a strong need in the starting rotation.
Some reports show the Mets might shift their attention to the trade market, but there are still a lot of top names available in free agency, and several starters that could be of great value to the Mets. The top options include Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, and Chris Bassitt. A recent prediction has the Mets acquiring Gallen via free agency.
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Mets Predicted to Land Zac Gallen
In a recent article by FanSided’s Chris Landers, the MLB writer predicts where all the top remaining free agents will sign, and in his piece, the New York Mets are being urged to sign Zac Gallen:
GettyANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JULY 12: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks to the dugout after the fourth inning against Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 12, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
“Gallen just feels like a very Stearns-y signing, doesn’t he? His market has clearly been depressed by a down contract year in 2025, and having the qualifying offer attached to him doesn’t help, but it wasn’t too long ago that he was posting back-to-back top-five finishes in NL Cy Young voting with Arizona. He’s still only 30, and he seemed to get back to something closer to his old self down the stretch last season.”
Gallen was an all-star in 2023 after recording 220 strikeouts over 210 innings.
Over the past several seasons, Zac Gallen has been a workhorse, and he has the rare combination of making 30+ starts each season and also pitching in 180+ innings consistently. This has driven Gallen’s market value up, even after coming off a 2025 season posting a 4.83 ERA.
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What is Zac Gallen’s Market Value?
So, what price would it take the New York Mets to sign Zac Gallen?
It all depends on how many years they would be willing to commit to him for, but Spotrac.com has his market value at four-years, $74.9 million, which is good for an AAV of $18.7 million.
BaseballReference.com projects Gallen to post a 4.21 ERA in 2026 over 171 innings.
He may never regain that 200 K’s in a season form, but Gallen in an innings-eater, and that would be extremely valuable to the Mets’ rotation, which is led by David Peterson and Clay Holmes at the moment.
Peterson and Holmes are a good 1-2 punch in terms of pitching arsenal, but adding a guy like Zac Gallen to be your second or third option adds an additional layer of depth to the pitching staff, especially knowing he’s going to be able to give 160+ or so innings.
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Mets Predicted to Land Former All-Star, 220-Strikeout Pitcher in Free Agency