The Boston Red Sox, like every other team in baseball, understand you can never have too much starting pitching.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already made two additions to bolster Boston’s rotation by trading for Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals and Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates. But he might not be done.
A lack of quality starters was one of the major reasons the Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Yankees, and it appears the organization may not be done in that department. Fox Sports is urging the team to sign veteran start Zac Gallen in free agency.
“The Red Sox held their own on the starting pitching front in 2025, posting a 3.92 ERA (12th in MLB), and the additions of both Gray and Oviedo are promising ones,” the article said. “That said, these acquisitions, by no means, preclude Boston from adding another starting pitcher – and signing Gallen would be a haymaker swing. Sure, Gallen is coming off arguably the worst season of his career, as the right-hander posted a career-high 4.83 ERA. At the same time, this is a top-of-the-rotation force in the prime of his career.”
Gallen’s season this year was derailed by major factor: giving up too many home runs.
He gave up 31 home runs this year in his final season with Arizona over the course of 33 starts. So yes, Gallen almost gave up one home run every start. Compare that to his 2024 season below, where he conceded 13, fewer than half of the amount he did in 2025.
Looking at Gallen’s heatmap from last season, it makes sense as to why he conceded so many home runs. The majority of his pitches were thrown right in the wheelhouse that every batter dreams of when they step to the plate. Gallen consistently hit the prime location that every batter wants their pitcher to land it in during the Home Run Derby.
Compare his 2025 to his heatmap from 2024, and you’ll see the dark red patch is closer to knee-high instead of belt-high. That difference of 8-to-12 inches is a major difference maker in the ability for big-league hitters to turn it around and hit it out of the park.
Gallen’s biggest goal for next season is to try and replicate his performances from 2024 and find his spot lower in the strike zone to induce more swings and misses. If he can do that, signing him to a $76 million deal, as Kiley McDaniel predicted on Nov. 6, would be a great deal for the Red Sox, as he has the potential to be the No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet.
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