Zach Gallen It’s one of the most interesting pitchers on the free agent market this winter, as interested clubs will have to balance the right-hander’s solid record with his shaky 2025 season. In theory, the situation might provide a vacancy for Galen to accept qualified offers from the Rattlesnakes, although Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro’s 98.7fm radio station (multiple links) felt “He didn’t have a chance to accept it. ”
It is estimated that the eligibility quote for this winter is estimated to be worth about 22 mm. While Gallen was testing the market for the first time, there was no doubt that Gallen was looking for more in a long-term commitment. Even if his struggles inevitably lowered his asking price this year, baseball’s demand for pitching means Galen should be able to reach some sort of acceptable multi-year deal.
Scott Ballen’s Agent (Gallen’s agent) has a long history of finding such deals for clients, although Boras also explores relatively short term contracts and offers exit clauses for players who follow in free agents right after the SO-SO platform era. It’s not hard to imagine Gallen signing a deal like this and then if he returns to form in 2026, an exit clause is created to return to free agents immediately. Obviously, there are some risks to betting on oneself in this way, and the market is becoming increasingly uncertain next year, with the uncertainty and potential lockdown of labor unrest as collective bargaining agreements expire.
Gallen released a 4.83 ERA in 192 innings in 2025, with a strikeout rate of 21.5% and a walking rate of 8.1%, while both ERA and K% stood out. Gallen, who has nearly all Statcast numbers below league average, is constantly plagued by home runs – Gallen’s 31 home runs allow the third highest for any pitcher in baseball. The exaggerated number part is related to the number of innings that Gallen threw away, although his barrel speed and hard hit rate have not yet exceeded 26% of all pitchers.
The good news for Galen is that he seems to be on track in the last two months of the season. After posting a 5.60 ERA in his first 127 innings, he improved to 3.32 ERA in the past 65 frames and 11 innings. Gallen’s turn came directly after the trade deadline, and if he started selling better sooner, it’s very likely that he’d already disappeared from Arizona, given the sales of other deadlines for the Rattlers.
Ken Kendrick is a well-known fan of Gallen, and the owner of d’Backs said earlier this week that it was not “Real world appears outside“The right can be re-signed. However, in the same interview, Kendrick said:We won’t spend on the same levelJust like in 2025, the Rattlesnakes still plan to have competitive wages and intend to win next year.
Whether this adds up to the amount of salary that can work for the camps in D’Backs and Gallen is valid, remains to be seen. If Gallen does reject eligibility proposals and signs elsewhere, Arizona will receive a compensation draft pick after the first round of the 2026 draft. If Gallen does leave, the additional draft picks in the 31-36 overall range would be a nice consolation prize, especially if the Rattlers can add to the start pitch elsewhere at a lower price.
For example, Merrill Lynch Kelly It’s basically been speculating since Kelly headed to the Rangers on the deadline. Kelly is open to his desire to be in Arizona before and after the deal, and Kelly will be priced at a lower age than Gallen (Kelly turned 37 in a few weeks), while Gallen was 30 last month). Gambadoro Corbin Burnes Preparing to return from Tommy John’s surgery.
Between Arizona’s demand for pitching and teams’ desire to lower their payroll, some other areas of the roster may reduce concentration. For example, Gambadoro Pavin Smith Get most of the bats, Tim Tawa or Tyler Locklear Face your right hand to hit one side of the row. Even such an acquisition is not as well known as the deal in the last offseason Josh Naylor.
Smith was in just eight games after July 5, as a ramp, and then a limb pressure, essentially losing the entire half of the season. Smith made 288 plates in 2025 with 288 sets, hitting .258/.362/.434, facing right-handed in addition to 24 trips to the dishes. The result is that the 123 WRC+ of the season is very stable, but almost all of Smith’s productions are in the heat of April, with his strikeout rate soaring up to 31.9%. It would be a long way to go out from Tawa or Locklear, which solidified the Rattlers’ first base platoon, but the unproven duo had only 390 Major League Baseball between them.
