The Cubs don’t seem finished just yet on making moves this offseason. Could Zac Gallen be the newest addition?

With what can easily be described as an eventful offseason for the Chicago Cubs so far, it looks like the front office may not be done making moves just yet.

According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score and Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs are still interested in free agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen.

He spoke on 670 The Score about the Cubs and Scott Boras having “talks” about the free agent.

“The Cubs and Scott Boras have continued talks about Zac Gallen becoming a Chicago Cub. Those talks are ongoing. My reporting is that the possibility is that it’ll be a shorter-term type contract.”

Trading for Edward Cabrera earlier this offseason, it looked like the Cubs were set on their starting rotation for 2026. Throw in the fact that lefthander Justin Steele is set to make his return from the IL sometime in 2026, and the rotation looks to have a lot of depth already.

Story continues below.

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But as they always say, you can never have too much starting pitching.

2025 was considered a down season for Gallen, especially considering his run from 2022 to 2024. In 33 starts last year, he posted a 4.83 ERA with 175 strikeouts, 176 hits, 109 runs, a 1.260 WHIP, a 4.50 FIP, and gave up 31 home runs in 192 innings pitched.

Gallen’s Baseball Savant numbers were not that impressive, either. The New Jersey native placed in the lower percentile in pitching run value, xERA, xBA, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage. Gallen got shelled last year.

With all the down-year talk aside, Gallen still has the potential to be a very reliable starting pitcher. Just two seasons ago, he was finishing off back-to-back top-five finishes in the NL Cy Young. From 2022 to 2024, he averaged 31 starts, 180 innings, 189 strikeouts, a 1.089 WHIP, and a 3.20 ERA per season.

The Cubs’ starting rotation looks to already have a lot of depth, but what’s one more to the mix? Who’s to say Shota Imanaga has another down year? What if Matthew Boyd experiences a little dip? What happens if someone is on the IL for the long haul?

Gallen would be an excellent pickup for the Cubs, and with their recent success from the pitching lab, it would not be a shocker to see him return to his Cy Young-worthy form. A short-term type contract, possibly one year with a second-year option, makes sense.