MLB Rumors: Top 5 Teams for Zac Gallen in Free Agency

The Zac Gallen Sweepstakes aren't really a thing in this free agent market, which would have been a surprising development when looking ahead before the 2025 season began.

Gallen had been one of the most consistent top-flight starters in the game for the first six years of his career. With ERAs in the high 2.00s to the mid-3.00s for all but one of those six seasons, he was a top 5 Cy Young finisher twice, and top 10 on another occasion.

But a disastrous contract year in 2025 seems to have cost Gallen perhaps as much as $100 million. His 4.83 ERA was by far the worst of his career, and he was lucky to have escaped even with that. He had a 5.60 ERA entering August. It's the main reason the D-Backs were unable to trade the pending free agent at the deadline.

But now, with his market so depressed, Arizona wants to bring him back to the desert.

“The Diamondbacks would love to get him back and are considered the front-runners to re-sign him," writes Jim Bowden of The Athletic. He also names four other teams that would be likely destinations if the Snakes can't close the deal.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants
Detroit Tigers

Yes, all of the O's, Braves, Giants and Tigers are looking for another solid arm for their rotations, but Gallen doesn't hold much market value given his horrendous 2025.

The only hope for him to get his price going up would be to wait until top free agent Framber Valez signs, leaving Gallen as the top arm left available.

We propose that the LA Angels could be another team with interest, as they have already brought in two former ace-like starters with a depressed market, in Alek Manoah and Grayson Rodriguez. Gallen would fit that buy-low strategy.