If Zac Gallen is going to sign with the Chicago Cubs, it doesn’t sound like it will happen in the immediate future.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Gallen “does not have a deal and is not close to finalizing one.”
This came after USA Today’s Bob Nightengale initially reported the Cubs were “HOPEFUL” of getting an agreement done with the veteran right-hander, but nothing is done and other teams are in the mix.
Nightengale initially reported the Cubs were close to a multiyear deal with Gallen that would have paid him an average of $22 million per season.
The Cubs are one of several teams that have reportedly shown interest in Gallen as a free agent.
Per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, other clubs that have expressed some level of interest in Gallen include the Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants.
Pitching depth is an area of need for the Cubs going into 2026. They were able to bring Shōta Imanaga back when he accepted the one-year qualifying offer last month.
Imanaga’s return gives the Cubs a top three with him, Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. The back of their rotation is questionable with Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea penciled into the final two spots.
Taillon, in particular, is hard to trust going forward. His 3.68 ERA in 2025 indicates a good performance, but he was being propped up a lot by the defense behind him. The 34-year-old had a FIP nearly one full run higher than his ERA (4.65) and his 1.67 homers allowed per nine innings was tied for the eighth-worst out of 100 pitchers with at least 120 innings pitched.
Gallen also had issues with homers last season, allowing 31 in 192 innings, but his track record offers hope that he can get back on track going forward. He is also four years younger than Taillon and finished third in NL Cy Young voting as recently as 2023.
If the Cubs decide to act aggressively to get a deal done with Gallen, he would be a nice addition to their rotation as they look to build on their playoff appearance last season.