Zac Gallen Fantasy Stats

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Wednesday that right-hander Zac Gallen will make his fourth career Opening Day start on the road against the World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers on March 26. Gallen is the obvious choice for the D-backs after re-signing this offseason, especially with Merrill Kelly (back) dealing with an injury in spring training. The 30-year-old veteran won't be a popular DFS play on Opening Day against the best lineup in baseball, but he could make for a nice value pick later in fantasy baseball drafts as he looks to bounce back from a career-worst 4.83 ERA (4.50 FIP) that he had in 33 starts (192 innings) last year in Arizona in his seventh year in the league. Gallen has looked sharp in his first two Cactus League starts this year, tossing four shutout innings while walking none and striking out five.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen said that he chose to re-sign for one year despite having several multi-year offers on the table from other organizations, according to Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com. "I've always bet on myself," Gallen told the media. "I felt like I owed it to myself, owed to my family, I even owed it to the organization, to the fans here to come back and have a good year." Gallen's free agency lasted into spring training, as he didn't re-sign with the Diamondbacks until Friday. The veteran starter is coming off a 33-start season, during which he posted a 4.50 FIP and 4.12 xFIP. He also had 8.20 K/9, 3.09 BB/9, and 1.45 HR/9 with a 43.6% home run rate. He slots right back into the Diamondbacks' No. 2 starter spot behind Merrill Kelly.

The Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed right-hander Zac Gallen for around $22 million on Friday night, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He rejected Arizona's $22.025 million qualifying offer back in November, but he'll end up making around the same amount in 2026 as he looks to bounce back in a familiar environment. Gallen will return to the desert after the 30-year-old veteran had a career-high 4.83 ERA (4.50 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 175 strikeouts and 66 walks in 192 innings over 33 starts in his walk year in 2025. His 31 home runs were easily a career high as well. In addition to being much more hittable last year, Gallen's strikeout rate fell to a career-low 21.5%. Gallen's cutter and sinker, which he threw more of, were just not effective enough. He could rebound by keeping the ball in the yard more often, but there's also a good chance we've already seen peak Gallen.

Free-agent talks for right-handed starter Zac Gallen are starting to heat up with spring training workouts underway across the league, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Gallen is the best remaining free agent on the market, and the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamondbacks are the teams showing the most interest in the 30-year-old veteran. He picked a bad time to post a career-worst 4.83 ERA (4.50 FIP) in his walk year in 2025 with Arizona, going 13-15 with a 1.26 WHIP, 175 strikeouts, and 66 walks in 192 frames over his 33 starts. Gallen's career-high ERA was fueled by a career-worst 1.5 HR/9 mark. His strikeout rate also dropped to a career-worst 21.5% in 2025. His fantasy stock is obviously down (No. 65 starting pitcher at RotoBaller), but a rebound could come if he were to go to a place like San Diego.

Free-agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen is one of the few impact starting pitchers left on the market after Framber Valdez signed with the Tigers on Wednesday, and that fact could lead to more focus on Gallen from the Orioles, who were considered one of the main teams in the mix for Valdez. Like Valdez, Gallen rejected a qualifying offer, which could be complicating his market, but now that Framber is no longer an option, the O's could turn to Gallen. They need an arm for the top of their rotation that seems stuffed with middle-of-the-rotation arms like Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and Cade Povich. Gallen struggled early in 2025 but looked better in the second half, finishing with a 4.83 ERA, 4.50 FIP, and 175 strikeouts in 192 innings. The 30-year-old has won at least 12 games in each of the last four seasons, and he'll look to return to his ace form wherever he ends up landing.

Free-agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen has drawn interest this offseason from the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles, but the veteran righty remains open to a return to the Arizona Diamondbacks as well. He said in an interview on Fox10 Phoenix, "I think people understand what Phoenix means to me...For us to be here would be awesome." The 30-year-old remains one of the top available starting pitchers, especially now that Framber Valdez landed with the Tigers. Last year, Gallen's numbers dropped off, even though he still logged 192 innings with a 4.83 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and just 175 strikeouts. He looked better late in the season, and he could try to return to Arizona to re-establish his value on a short-term deal. He would provide nice depth for the D-backs' rotation that currently has the re-signed Merrill Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and free agent signee Michael Soroka slotted into the rotation. Managers should expect Gallen to hold mid-end SP4/SP5 upside in 2026, given his inconsistencies last season, but keep an eye on where he lands since his environment will play a big factor in his production.

Free agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen remains linked to the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles. Gallen is one of the top remaining starting pitchers on the open market. Last season, the 30-year-old logged 192 innings to the tune of a modest 4.83 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He struck out just 175 hitters. However, he held a slightly improved 4.26 xERA under the hood, suggesting he could face some positive regression in 2026. The previous summer, Gallen posted a much stronger 3.65 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP across 148 frames. In 2023, he showed similar success, logging 210 innings with a strong 3.47 ERA. Managers should expect Gallen to hold mid-end SP4/SP5 upside in 2026, given his inconsistencies last season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly the favorites to re-sign free-agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen. A reunion appears to be in the works after it seemed likely that the two sides would go their separate ways at the beginning of the winter. Gallen rejected the qualifying offer and entered free agency, but with draft pick compensation tied to his name. The Orioles, Braves, Giants, and Tigers have reportedly expressed interest in Gallen, but there is no deal in place. The 30-year-old is coming off a down year with the D-Backs in 2025. Last season, Gallen posted a 4.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 175/66 K/BB ratio across 33 starts. It was the first year that Gallen had finished with a 4-plus ERA since the 2021 campaign. It seems possible that Gallen would take a short-term deal with opt-out options to try to re-establish his value. The D-Backs haven't replaced Gallen's spot in the rotation, so a reunion could still happen. Gallen is a quality arm that makes sense for a team that doesn't have a ton of established arms to count on right now.

The Chicago Cubs and agent Scott Boras have continued to talk about free-agent right-hander Zac Gallen, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. "Those talks are ongoing. My reporting is the possibility is that it'll be a shorter-term type of deal," Levine said. Gallen has been connected with the Cubs in free agency since early December, but the two sides have been unable to work anything out. The 30-year-old All-Star is coming off a career-worst 4.83 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 175 strikeouts and 66 walks in 33 starts over 192 innings in 2025 in his seventh year in the big leagues. Going with a shorter deal would allow Gallen to build some of his value back up before potentially hitting free agency one more time as he nears the tail end of his career. Gallen is probably past his prime, but going to Wrigley Field could help lower his home run rate, which was a career high in 2025.

Free-agent right-hander Zac Gallen and the Chicago Cubs do not currently have a deal in place and are not close to finalizing one, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Despite Bob Nightengale's reports, Gallen is still on the market. Gallen struggled last season to a career-high 4.83 ERA (4.24 SIERA) with a career-low 21.5 K-BB% across 192 innings. The 30-year-old is projected for a four-year, $76 million contract and is currently being pursued by the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and Atlanta Braves. Wherever he lands, he will be a top-three starter on the team and will be depended on to pitch as much as possible. Gallen's 227.10 ADP shows how far his stock has fallen, but at that price, he could be an excellent bounce-back target without costing a premium pick.