The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with Zac Gallen by signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract in January. Since joining the team in 2019, Gallen has been kept on a series of one-year deals.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!However, this stability may soon be tested, as Gallen is set to enter free agency for the first time next year—unless the Diamondbacks can secure him with a long-term contract beforehand. The 2024 season saw Gallen, a one-time All-Star, record his third consecutive season with at least 10 wins and a sub-4.00 ERA.
While you can argue that the D-backs ace took a step backward this season, he was still the glue to their rotation amid injuries and inconsistencies. Down the stretch, Gallen especially stepped up, leading the D-backs to a win in all five of his starts in September. Zac started the month with back-to-back shutouts.
Looking ahead to free agency, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter highlighted Gallen as a prime candidate for a contract exceeding $100 million next offseason. Reuter noted that Gallen is likely to test the open market to secure the highest possible payday.
So far, there have been no reported extension talks between Gallen and the Diamondbacks. In January, Gallen expressed his fondness for Phoenix, saying, “I love it here, especially after us having this success.” He added, “If they want to decide to do something, great, we’ll sit down and figure it out and see what happens. But, as of now, nothing’s been done.”
The Diamondbacks do not currently have any players that are under a deal in the nine figures. The last time they signed a player to a nine-figure contract was Zack Greinke at $206.5 million in 2016. However, Greinke was traded to the Astros in 2019.
