The Houston Astros haven’t exactly been dormant when it comes to adding candidates to the starting rotation, but what they’ve done so far hasn’t been encouraging.

Nate Pearson has a pedigree, but the big league track record leaves a lot to be desired. The club’s latest addition, Ryan Weiss, is coming over from South Korea as a complete unknown. These two have their place; the Astros need rotation depth with Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, and Brandon Walter all on the mend following Tommy John surgery, but neither is a realistic hope to fill the Framber Valdez-sized hole in the rotation.

Fortunately, there could be another option. In a breakdown of Scott Boras’ clients for The Athletic (subscription required), former MLB GM Jim Bowden named Houston as the top landing spot for bounce-back candidate Zac Gallen.

The Astros are named as the top destination for once-promising starter Zac Gallen

Gallen’s 2025 season couldn’t have gone worse. The 30-year-old right-hander might not have ever been a true ace, but from 2022-2024, he was close, posting a 3.20 ERA over that time span. In 2025, however, that number ballooned to 4.83.

Gallen saw his K/9 fall from a career mark of 9.77 prior to 2025 to 8.20 in his disappointing walk year. His walks ticked up, and his HR/9 shot up to a career-worst 1.45 mark.

Under the hood, things didn’t look much better. Gallen posted a 36th percentile whiff rate, a 26th percentile hard hit rate, and a 24th percentile barrel percentage. Essentially, he missed very few bats and, as a result, was regularly hit hard.

There is something to hone in on, though, and if the Astros can fix what is broken, they can nab a stellar partner for Hunter Brown atop the rotation. In 2024, Gallen posted what had been a typical year for him, with 9.49 K/9 and a 3.65 ERA. The biggest driver of his success was his work with his breaking balls.

Gallen throws two, a frequently used knuckle curve and a rarely-dusted-off slider. Together, the pair were good for a run value of 13, which was utterly elite, coming in as a 98th percentile mark. In 2025, Gallen’s breaking ball run value plunged to -8, a seventh percentile mark.

Unlocking Gallen’s breaking ball could be the key to getting him back on track. If a team can do it, they’ll be adding one of the most durable arms in baseball atop their rotation.

What it would cost to add him is the question. Bowden had earlier predicted a five-year, $135 million deal for him, which is a $27 million AAV and far too rich for Houston’s blood. MLB Trade Rumors projected a four-year $80 million deal, which could work for the Astros’ budget. Finally, Spotrac pegs him with a market value of four-years, $74.8 million, which is an $18.7 million AAV.

From that, it seems like Bowden might have overshot the runway a bit. There’s also the history of Boras clients coming off difficult years, potentially playing into the Astros’ favor. Once the market fails to materialize, these players are famous for taking pillow contracts that have opt-outs after the first year, should the player re-establish his value.

To that end, adding Gallen could be a big part of a dream offseason for Houston, and if he’s at his best, he’s about the best Valdez replacement they’ll be able to afford.