Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies boasted one of the best starting rotations in baseball, but things are a different story heading into 2026.
Not only did Ranger Suarez depart via free agency, but Zack Wheeler is still recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome and is expected to miss some time to start next season.
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The Phillies could definitely use another arm to bolster their depth, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter has tabbed them as a potential destination for free-agent pitcher Zac Gallen.
“It’s fair to wonder if the Phillies have the financial flexibility to sign Gallen, but with Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter currently penciled into the No. 3-5 spots in the rotation, something has to be done to shore up the staff while they wait on Zack Wheeler to get healthy,” Reuter wrote.
Philadelphia hasn’t done a whole lot this winter.
Yes, the Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, but the only significant additions they have made have come in the form of outfielder Adolis Garcia and relief pitcher Brad Keller.
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Otherwise, Philadelphia is largely running it back going into the spring, minus key players such as Suarez and Harrison Bader.
Zac Gallen. Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images.
The Phillies were slapped with a $56 million luxury tax bill after 2025, so Gallen may be a bit out of their price range. But you have to wonder if Gallen’s demands are decreasing the closer we get to the start of the regular season.
Gallen logged a 4.83 ERA with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2025, allowing 176 hits while registering 175 strikeouts over 192 innings of work.
It was certainly a down year for the 30-year-old, who owns a lifetime 3.58 ERA since entering the big leagues with the Miami Marlins back in 2019 (the Marlins traded him to the Diamondbacks midway through that season).
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Gallen made an All-Star team as recently as 2023 and finished within the top five of NL Cy Young award voting in both 2022 and 2023, so he is certainly not far removed from being an elite pitcher.
The former third-round pick seems to be a great bounceback candidate for 2026, so he could represent a good gamble for somebody.
Can that team be Philadelphia? Based on the way the Phillies have operated this offseason, it doesn’t seem likely, but maybe they’ll get desperate.
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