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The Padres are being predicted to sign Diamondbacks free agent Zac Gallen.
The San Diego Padres have not had the busiest of offseasons, but they did make some moves. They re-signed starting pitcher Michael King to a three-year, $75 million contract. Keeping King around is certainly good news for the Padres, as he will continue to be a key part of their pitching rotation because of it.
The Padres also made some other moves this offseason that have the potential to give them a bit of a boost. Among their new players are Sung-Mun Song, Ty Adcock, and Daison Acosta. They also re-signed pitcher Kyle Hart to a one-year contract.
However, the Padres most notably lost star pitcher Dylan Cease in free agency this year. The Toronto Blue Jays signed Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, and he is undoubtedly a pitcher who the Padres are going to miss tremendously.
With the Padres losing Cease this offseason, it would be entirely understandable if they looked to add another starting pitcher to their rotation before the start of the season. The options on the free-agent market are limited at this point in the winter, but the Padres are now being linked to an intriguing bounce-back candidate who is still unsigned.
Padres Predicted to Sign Free Agent Pitcher Zac Gallen
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter predicted what each MLB team’s starting rotation will look like at the start of the season. For the Padres, Reuter predicted that the Padres would sign Gallen and have him as their No. 3 starter in their rotation.
“The Padres have yet to make an outside addition to replace Dylan Cease in the rotation, and while the return of Joe Musgrove provides a boost, relying on Randy Vásquez and JP Sears to both occupy rotation spots is a risky approach. If Zac Gallen ends up opting for a short-term deal to rebuild his value, he could be the perfect stopgap addition to this staff,” Reuter wrote.
With the Padres in need of another impactful starting pitcher, it would make sense for them to take a chance on Gallen. He is one of the top pitchers still available for the taking, and he would have the potential to provide the Padres’ rotation with a bit of an upgrade.
In 33 games this past season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gallen had a 13-15 record, a 4.83 ERA, and 175 strikeouts. Overall, it was a tough year for the seven-year veteran, but he could bounce back in San Diego. Just back in 2024, he had a 14-6 record and a 3.65 ERA. This was after he was an All-Star in 2023, where he had a 17-9 record and a 3.47 ERA.
Zac Gallen Has Been Linked to Multiple Teams
While the Padres are being connected to Gallen, multiple other teams have been viewed as potential landing spots for the 6-foot-2 righty. A few clubs that have been connected to him this winter include the Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants.
Yet, with the Padres needing pitching help, they stand out as a prime potential fit for Gallen. It will be interesting to see if they can steal him from the Diamondbacks from here.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
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