MLB Rumors: NL Team In Talks With Zac Gallen
.jpg "Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen reacts during 2025 game.")
Bruce Levine said on 670 The Score that Chicago and Scott Boras have continued talks about free-agent right-hander Zac Gallen, and the chatter is that it could be a shorter-term contract if it comes together.
With Cubs GM Carter Hawkins also indicating the luxury tax is “less of a consideration” for a team that expects to contend, it’s easy to see why Chicago keeps sniffing around another high-upside arm.
The Cubs and Scott Boras have continued talks on Zac Gallen, per @MLBBruceLevine on 670 the score.
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) January 19, 2026
“Those talks are ongoing. My reporting is the possibility is that it’ll be a shorter-term type of deal.” pic.twitter.com/boHb8YX8nM
Cubs in talks with free agent Zac Gallen
Gallen, 30, is coming off the roughest year of his career on the surface, going 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA across 33 starts, striking out 175 in 192 innings.
That’s the version that makes a shorter deal feel plausible, especially if he wants to rebuild value quickly.
But the Cubs would be betting on the longer resume too, the one that includes being a 2023 All-Star and a pitcher who has finished in NL Cy Young voting’s top three before.
Cubs and Scott Boras have continued talks on Zac Gallen, per @MLBBruceLevine pic.twitter.com/kcOGEkOs7e
— SleeperCubs (@SleeperCubs) January 19, 2026
Chicago’s rotation picture is already crowded on paper and a short-term add doesn’t automatically solve longer-range certainty. Still, teams rarely get through a season using only five starters, and the Cubs clearly want to build the kind of depth that survives injuries and still has October-level punch.
Over his seven-year MLB career, Gallen holds a 3.58 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, with 1,060 strikeouts across 1,007.1 innings and 176 starts.
Photo Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
