The Arizona Diamondbacks brought in Corbin Burnes last offseason, but Burnes went down with a huge arm injury midway through the season.
Now the Diamondbacks could take an even bigger step back in free agency as Zac Gallen sits on the open market, as of Monday. Gallen could bolt for a deal with a new team, further crippling the team’s pitching staff.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly predicted the Diamondbacks would lose Gallen to the Los Angeles Angels on a two-year, $45 million deal this offseason.
“The Angels are clearly very invested in 2026, with both general manager Perry Minasian and manager Kurt Suzuki operating in contract years,” Kelly wrote. “If the Halos were able to get Gallen back on track, they could actually have a decent rotation with him, Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano, Reid Detmers and Grayson Rodriguez.”
The Angels are seemingly preparing to make a postseason push next year. It’s unclear if they will be able to put together a successful season, but the front office is certainly making an attempt.
Signing Gallen to an affordable deal would certainly work in favor of the Angels. It would give them a reliable starting pitcher to place at the top of their rotation.
At his best, Gallen is one of the more underrated pitchers in the league. He struggled a bit last season, but he’s bound to bounce back this year. The Angels would be smart to pursue him on a short-term deal.
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