The Arizona Diamondbacks were seemingly attempting to contend this season, but a few of their top players had underwhelming seasons. Pair that with Corbin Burnes’ crushing arm injury, and the Diamondbacks didn’t stand a chance against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the loaded National League West.
The Diamondbacks could lose pitcher Zac Gallen to free agency this winter despite a bit of a down year from the right-hander. Arizona needs to look to retain him on a team-friendly deal if at all possible.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently predicted Gallen would re-sign with the Diamondbacks on a solid two-year deal worth $45 million this offseason.
“Arizona traded Merrill Kelly in the summer, will be without Corbin Burnes for much of 2026 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery and has gotten disastrous results from Eduardo RodrÃguez over his first two seasons in the desert,” Kelly wrote. “This is a team that should be desperate for starting pitching, and Gallen might still be their best bet.
“Diamondbacks fans might cringe when hearing this, but the one-year, $25 million deal Arizona signed Jordan Montgomery to in March of 2024 — a pact that included a vesting $20 million option for a second season the lefty ultimately exercised — could offer a blueprint for how to structure a Gallen deal.”
Given how well Gallen had pitched before last season, the Diamondbacks should look to retain him on a deal like this.
The worst-case scenario is that the Diamondbacks have an innings eater on their roster, but the best-case scenario is that Gallen returns to his ace form and helps the team push for a postseason spot.
The Diamondbacks will have the money to make this kind of a deal. It’s depends on whether their front office believes it makes sense.
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