It has been a quiet offseason for the San Diego Padres as general manager A.J. Preller has not been at the front of offseason coverage the way he normally is throughout the winter.
The organization lost Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays, but it did bring back Michael King on a $45 million deal, along with adding Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song. However, the organization could still use some additional reinforcements, particularly in the pitching department.
With pitchers and catchers reporting very soon, time is running out. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter believes the Padres are the best fit to sign former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen.
“There might be no team that needs Gallen more,” Reuter wrote. “With the door closed on a reunion with Luis Arraez, the Padres’ sole focus for the remainder of the offseason should be on shoring up the starting rotation. They would have to give up their second-highest 2026 draft pick to sign Gallen, but that’s not until No. 60 overall, and he could go a long way in helping to replace Dylan Cease with a return to form.”
Gallen produced a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts for the Diamondbacks last season. He is certainly a workhorse that the Padres could use in their starting rotation despite bringing back King and Joe Musgrove’s return from injury.
The 2023 All-Star is in need of a bounce-back year after last season was subpar based on his previous standards. Given that San Diego has done extremely well to develop pitchers over the last few years, Gallen could return to his former self if he signs with the Padres.
As spring training continues to get closer, keep an eyes on the Padres as a landing spot for Gallen.
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