Arizona Diamondbacks Bring Back Zac Gallen On 1 Year Deal

The Arizona Diamondbacks have done a nice job this offseason and have made another move to bolster their rotation. They are bringing back SP Zac Gallen on a one-year deal worth $22 million, per Jon Heyman. Gallen opted for free agency and declined the qualifying offer, but ended up re-signing for the same amount if he had accepted the qualifying offer after failing to earn a big contract. 

Diamondbacks Bring Back Gallen

After a very down year, Zac Gallen will look to bounce back with Arizona. Gallen had his fair share of struggles last season, but ended up with a 4.83 ERA, which honestly isn’t that bad. He was healthy all season long, but was smacked around by opposing batters.

He just couldn’t find any rhythm, resulting in Arizona failing to move him at the trade deadline. He came into the season with high hopes of landing a contract north of $100 million, but as we know, he failed miserably. 

The Diamondbacks bringing back Gallen on a one-year deal is a big deal for their rotation, as they look to get him back to the level of success he’s had in years past. He’s familiar with the pitching staff, so it’s likely that he finds his groove rather quickly heading into the season. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Gallen had multi-year offers but preferred to stay in Arizona on a one-year deal. 

One of the key stats to look at when it comes to his season last year was his numbers after the trade deadline. Gallen went 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA and a 3.95 FIP. As the year came to a close, he looked more like himself, which is an encouraging sign for him to bounce back this season. This deal makes a ton of sense for both sides and allows Gallen to bet on himself and try to re-enter the open market next year.

Looking At The Rotation

Zac Gallen immediately slots into the ace role of the Diamondbacks rotation. He is followed by Merrill Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt. A lot of their success depends on Pfaadt and Rodriguez, who both struggled last year but can round out the back end of the rotation if they find their stride.

Ryne Nelson and Merrill Kelly are Arizona’s top-end guys, and capped off terrific 2025 campaigns. Kelly had a ton of success in Arizona and revived his career after many wrote him off. 

Ryne Nelson has been profiled as a hybrid guy for the Diamondbacks, but has earned a rotation role. He made 23 starts last year in 33 games and pitched to a 3.39 ERA. At just 28 years old, it’ll be fun to watch how big a step he can take yet again this season. But out of all these guys, the biggest piece to the puzzle is going to be Zac Gallen. If he can get back to what he was in 2023 and 2024, the Diamondbacks will have one of the better rotations in the National League.