Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The free agent class in MLB this offseason is being viewed as one of the more well-rounded in recent memory. While there are a few “stars” on the board, there is simply a ton of quality talent available for teams to sign.
With this, we could see a lot of movement take place across the league as teams try to put themselves in a position to go after a World Series title. Teams that need help with starting pitching will especially be active, and there are multiple guys who could be seen as true game-changers.
One of those is veteran right-hander Zac Gallen, who has spent his entire career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Many around the game don’t believe that Arizona will keep Gallen around moving forward, and this now possibly opens the door to another team to strike.
Gallen had an up-and-down 2025 season, and he would likely have preferred to put together a more consistent year. The veteran was healthy this year, but his ERA came in at 4.83 for the season.
His second half was much stronger than the first half, posting an ERA of 3.97 in the second half, compared to the 5.40 ERA he put up in the first part of the year. But teams could be wary about why this was, and it could impact his overall value on the open market.
To complicate his free agency, the Diamondbacks did place a qualifying offer on him, just in case he does sign elsewhere. Since Gallen isn’t a star player or an ace, there will be some teams that shy away from him.
Qualifying offers are essentially insurance pieces for teams to make sure that they don’t lose players for nothing. If an opposing team signs a player with a qualifying offer, they then have to give the incumbent team a draft pick.
The Diamondbacks have to figure out what to do with Gallen, but how his free agency shakes out remains to be seen. But the veteran can be a solid pickup for a team that simply needs a No. 2 or No. 3 in a starting rotation.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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Zac Gallen Signs With Detroit Tigers
Assuming that Gallen doesn’t return to Arizona, the Detroit Tigers seem like a solid landing spot for him. Detrout made the postsason this year, and they could be looking to add another arm to the starting rotation.
With ace Tarik Skubal leading the charge, Detroit simply needs more depth in the pitching staff. Putting Gallen alongside Skubal and Jack Flaherty could give the Tigers one of the deepest rotations in baseball.
Gallen could also be an insurance option for the Tigers, considering that Skubal has been placed in trade rumors all offseason. The veteran has proven himself over the years and could fit in well in Detroit.
The Tigers need someone to eat innings for them during the regular season, and Gallen is perfect for this. The veteran won’t solve all the issues on the Tigers’ roster, but he could plug up some holes in the pitching department.
Detroit has dreams of going after a World Series this next season, and adding Gallen could push them even closer. This team needs more arms to compete against the other elite teams in the American League, and this could be a massive step forward.