The Chicago Cubs are reportedly close to signing free agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen to a multi-year contract according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Considering this week’s buzz that the Cubs were a serious contender to sign Dylan Cease and increased optimism that the team would target Japanese star Tatsuya Imai, coming away with Gallen sure does seem disappointing.
Details on Gallen’s contract with the Cubs have not been released just yet, but Nightengale has said the right-handed pitcher will earn an average of $22 million per season.
The Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing an agreement with free-agent starter Zac Gallen on a multi-year deal that will pay him an average of $22 million a year. Gallen, with three top-10 Cy Young finishes, has averaged 32 starts a year for the past 4 seasons.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 6, 2025
The Cubs were reportedly interested in trading for Gallen during the 2025 season, but the Arizona Diamondbacks held on to him. Gallen, who had been a Cy Young contender in years past, finished this past year with a 4.83 ERA in 192 innings. He made 33 starts and the concerning part was that this was his second year in which Gallen’s numbers declined across the board.
From 2019-2023, Gallen maintained a strikeout rate between 26 and 29 percent. At his best, Gallen was limiting walks to 2/9IP, but in 2024 his strikeout rate dipped a little, down to 25.1%, still good, but in 2025 it was only at 21.5%, while the walks increased to above three per nine innings pitched.
The bright spot to Gallen’s 2025 season is that in his final 11 starts he recorded a 3.32 ERA in 65 innings and posted eight quality starts. Yet, the strikeout rate was hovering in the 20% range, so that’s not exactly what you want if you’re predicting future success.
You’re obviously hoping that Gallen can return to his pre-2025 form, when he was a very good pitcher and even at times was one of the best in the National League. Yet, I still go back to these other free agents who are available and feel like the Cubs could have aimed higher. I mean, a guy like Michael King comes with injury concerns, but his ceiling is higher than Gallen’s.
In the past few days there seemed to have been real traction in the Cubs pursuing Imai, who at this point is one of the two or three best free agent starters still available. Unless the Cubs trade from within their rotation this Gallen move appears to be it for that side of the pitching staff and now the bullpen will be their main focus.