Zac Gallen’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors and the Chicago Cubs should try to land him
The Chicago Cubs have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, hoping to improve their roster and get this franchise back on track. After missing the playoffs again last season, it’s key that the Cubs figure this out in a hurry.
And one of their biggest needs will be in the starting rotation.
After saying goodbye to Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs could be looking to boost that rotation which struggled last season. And there could be an ace available within the National League.
As MLB hosted the annual general manager meetings last week, there was some buzz that the Arizona Diamondbacks would move a starting pitcher. Teams have inquired about multiple starters, namely Jordan Montgomery who was a disaster signing from the start. But he’s not the only one.
Zac Gallen’s name has popped up in the report as well. Here is what The Athletic reported from last week’s meetings:
The Arizona Diamondbacks emerged as a team receiving significant interest from clubs looking for starters, league sources said at this week’s general managers’ meetings.
Zac Gallen (projected to earn $14.1 million through the arbitration process) is one of the league’s best pitchers and will be a free agent after the 2025 season. Merrill Kelly ($7 million), who dealt with injury last season, will also be a free agent. Same for Jordan Montgomery ($23.75 million), who struggled in his first year with Arizona. The Diamondbacks also have Eduardo Rodriguez (signed through 2027 with a mutual option for 2028), Brandon Pfaadt (five years of club control) and Ryne Nelson (four years of club control).
So the Diamondbacks have to at least listen, especially because they have some of their own needs to address.
Arizona has expressed interest in adding another late-innings reliever, possibly a closer, to go along with right-hander Justin Martinez and lefty A.J. Puk in the backend, league sources said. The Diamondbacks could accomplish this through free agency or via trade, potentially involving one of their starters. If they trade one of their veteran starters, it’s also possible they could land a younger option in return.
The Diamondbacks, who missed this year’s playoffs by one game after advancing to the World Series in 2023, also need offense. First baseman Christian Walker and outfielders Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk all became free agents.
That’s pretty interesting seeing that the Diamondbacks were in the World Series two years ago and Gallen is considered one of the best starters in the league still, despite a ‘down’ year for him.
Zac Gallen does have one year left on his deal but with a young team, the Diamondbacks are in win now mode and at least should keep him to see the how season starts first.
Would the Chicago Cubs be interested in Zac Gallen?
Now, these are just rumors and nothing has come of this as of now. The MLB Winter Meetings will be held in December and that’s when the action will really start to heat up.
So do the Cubs make sense for Zac Gallen? Of course.
As mentioned above, the Cubs need help in their rotation and adding a player like Gallen would be a significant boost. Last season, the Cubs rotation struggled outside of Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, when he was healthy. Getting that extra arm will be key.
The Cubs also have the prospects to move to Arizona if they wanted to land a big arm like Zac Gallen’s for the upcoming season. I don’t know how far this will go but if Gallen is available, he’s worth the chance.
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