MLB free agency: Zac Gallen returns to D-Backs on 1-year, $22 million deal
MLB free agency: Zac Gallen returns to D-Backs on 1-year, $22 million deal
Chris CwikSat, February 14, 2026 at 2:20 AM UTC
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MLB free agency: Zac Gallen returns to D-Backs on 1-year, $22 million deal
Zac Gallen took a risk early in the offseason by declining the Arizona Diamondbacks' one-year, roughly $22 million qualifying offer. That decision led to the 30-year-old sitting on the market for quite some time, but his free-agent wait is finally over.
Gallen reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the D-Backs on Friday, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
While the long-time Diamondbacks starter has a history of success in the majors, he entered free agency at arguably the worst-possible time. Gallen showed signs of decline in 2025, posting the highest ERA and lowest strike-out rate of his career in 192 innings with the Diamondbacks. It marked a troubling trend for Gallen, who has seen his ERA rise in three straight seasons.
Early in his career, Gallen looked like a future superstar on the mound. He burst onto the scene in 2019, posting a 2.81 ERA with both the Miami Marlins and Diamondbacks. He maintained that excellence during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 MLB season, earning down ballot Cy Young award votes.
After some uncharacteristic struggles in 2021, Gallen bounced back to turn in his two best seasons in the majors. From 2022 through 2023, Gallen posted a 3.04 ERA over 394 innings. He ranked fourth in ERA, sixth in starting pitcher fWAR, seventh in strikeouts and eighth in innings pitched during that period. Gallen finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2022 and managed a third-place finish in 2023. For the first time in his career, Gallen also gained a few MVP votes following his strong 2023 season.
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He carried his success into the postseason, where the Diamondbacks went on a miraculous run to the World Series. The team fell short in the end, falling to the Texas Rangers in five games. Gallen performed well in his only World Series start, allowing just one run over 6 1/3 innings in Game 1. Despite that, he was saddled with the loss.
While the team's World Series run was an overall positive, it came with an unfortunate side effect. Gallen tossed a total of 243 2/3 innings in 2023. That workload may have come back to bite him in 2024.
Gallen got off to a solid start the following year, posting a 3.12 ERA over his first 11 starts before sustaining a hamstring injury. The issue kept him sidelined for a month. While his first start back was encouraging, Gallen then posted a 5.02 ERA over his next 11 games. He finished the year strong, posting a 2.67 ERA in his final five games, but it still marked his worst year in the majors since 2021.
Things got even worse in 2025. Over his first 22 starts, Gallen posted a 5.20 ERA. He had the worst strike-out rate and highest home-run rate of his career. He rebounded down the stretch, posting a 3.32 ERA in his final 11 games, but that came with an even lower strike-out rate, leading to questions about his ability moving forward.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
