Zac Gallen is staying put. The right-hander reached an agreement Friday to re-join the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year deal worth $22.025 million with $14 million deferred, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
That number should ring a bell – it’s exactly what Arizona offered him as a qualifying offer this winter. The same deal Gallen turned down.
Now he’s taking it anyway, which tells you something about how his market developed. Or didn’t develop, really.
Coming off a career-worst 4.83 ERA and a 13-15 record in 2025, Gallen’s free-agent stock took a hit. We’re talking about a guy who finished top-five in Cy Young voting three times and made an All-Star team just two years ago in 2023.
The one-year commitment makes sense from his perspective. He’s betting on himself to bounce back and hit free agency again next winter with better numbers on his resume.
From Arizona’s side, they’re getting a pitcher who threw 192 innings last season – even if they weren’t pretty innings. In today’s game, that durability still has value.
Diamondbacks Loading Up
Gallen’s return caps what’s been a busy winter for Arizona. They’ve also brought back Merrill Kelly on a two-year deal and added veteran slugger Carlos Santana for one year.
The biggest move? Trading for 10-time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado, which gives them a legitimate superstar at third base.
All these moves point to one thing – the Diamondbacks aren’t ready to step back from contention. Sure, the Dodgers are probably going to win the NL West again, but Arizona seems focused on making a run at one of those Wild Card spots.
Spring Training games start in less than a week, and with Gallen’s signing, most of the top free agents have finally found homes. The timing worked out for both sides, even if it took until the last minute to get there.
