SAN DIEGO — Arizona Diamondbacks longtime starting pitcher Zac Gallen addressed the media with his uniform still on hours after he exited Friday’s start against the San Diego Padres.

With a 7-4 loss, Arizona was eliminated from playoff contention, ensuring Gallen had made his final start before he enters free agency this winter.

Gallen has been with the Diamondbacks since 2019, making 176 starts, pitching 1,007.1 innings and striking out 1,060 batters. Since 2020, only San Francisco’s Logan Webb has made more starts with the same team, per Stathead.

“It’s tough for me to take off,” Gallen said of his uniform. “Kind of lingered on the mound a little bit too when (manager Torey Lovullo) was coming out. Wearing this uniform for seven years now. As much as I spent some other time in organizations, I think of myself as a D-back.

“If it’s the last time, a tough pill to swallow. A lot of fond memories here. I know the last two years didn’t go the way we wanted it to. This year didn’t go the way I envisioned for myself. But, every fifth day I put the uniform on, it was an honor, I was proud to put the uniform on. I went out there every fifth day and just tried to give these guys everything I had and obviously just this year wasn’t enough.”

Zac Gallen did not want to take his Diamondbacks uniform off after making his final start before entering free agency. pic.twitter.com/WtmkipCoUi

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 27, 2025

For so long, Gallen and Merrill Kelly anchored Arizona’s starting rotation, a tandem entering free agency at the same time after this season. Kelly was traded at the deadline to Texas, while the D-backs did not find a deal worth parting with Gallen for.

Gallen rewarded them with a strong final two months, as he owned a 2.82 in 10 starts since the deadline entering Friday.

After the Diamondbacks pushed him back from Thursday’s game at Chase Field against the Dodgers, Gallen did not finish the season the way he wanted at Petco Park.

Gallen allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings. A two-out, 3-2 grand slam from Fernando Tatis Jr. was the difference in the game.

Lovullo explained the move to push back Gallen a day was made by the organization to give Gallen an extra day of rest after he had been dealing with illness. He pitched through a cold on Saturday and delivered seven quality innings in a win over the Phillies.

Gallen claimed he was ready to go but would do whatever the club felt was best. Not getting one more start at Chase Field was disappointing, however.

“Whether I felt a 100% or not, I would’ve put on the uniform and went out there and tried to give the guys a chance to win,” Gallen said. “Hindsight’s always 20-20, it is what it is, but I was ready either way.”

Gallen said he took a beat when walking off the mound against the Phillies to appreciate the moment, but he did not think that was the final time.

“In the back of my mind, I thought I was getting another start at Chase Field,” Gallen said.

He signed autographs along the third-base line on Thursday, a way to show fans appreciation despite not being able to pitch in front of them again.

Before the trade deadline, Gallen sat in the Diamondbacks’ dugout after the fans had all departed, taking in his home ballpark for what could have been the final time, but it wasn’t. He made it clear in a Players Tribune article after the 2023 World Series what it meant to bring the Valley the excitement of a playoff run.

The future is uncertain for Gallen and the Diamondbacks.

Gallen is a 30-year-old pitcher who has three top-10 Cy Young voting finishes and Scott Boras as his agent.

He is also coming off a season in which he delivered a 4.83 ERA, even with a resurgence over the past two months.

Will a team give him a multi-year deal worthy of a two-starter? Does he take a qualifying offer to try again next year? How will the numerous Diamondbacks pitching injuries for next season (Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk) impact their willingness to spend on pitching?

What is certain is that Gallen has been one of the best starting pitchers in franchise history, not on the Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb level but arguably in the top five with Curt Schilling and Kelly or Zack Greinke. Gallen ranks third in starts, innings and strikeouts.

“ I love Zac Gallen and I told him that,” Lovullo said. “I don’t know where the journey goes for him. … He did everything he could in the Valley to help bring us a world championship. He carried this rotation on his back at times. We watched him grow and learn and I couldn’t be more proud of what he did and what he represented.”

Torey Lovullo reflects on Zac Gallen’s tenure with the Diamondbacks. pic.twitter.com/08fCUDvCDG

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 27, 2025