The Arizona Diamondbacks haven’t been resting on their laurels during the offseason after an 80-82 campaign in 2025. The D-backs brought back James McCann and Merrill Kelly on short-term deals while adding Michael Soroka and Nolan Arenado to the mix.
However, Zac Gallen entering free agency created a glaring need for more starting pitching depth that, to some degree, still remains.
Re-signing Kelly after trading him away at the deadline appeared to have cleared things up at least. The Diamondbacks, as it stands, will most likely be rolling into Opening Day with a rotation of Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodriguez, Ryne Nelson and Soroka until Corbin Burnes’ targeted return in July.
But Rodriguez and Pfaadt’s inconsistencies, Soroka’s injury history and little proven depth behind them mean there’s a chance they could still add a starting pitcher.
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Zac Gallen declines Diamondbacks' qualifying offer
Which brings us back to Gallen. He still hasn’t found a new home since turning down the one-year, $22.05 million qualifying offer from the club.
Teams like the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs are considered to be some of the top landing spots for Gallen, but the Diamondbacks also continue to entertain the possibility of a return, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden.
The Diamondbacks would love to get him back and are considered the frontrunners to re-sign him (and wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to do it).
The 2023 All-Star amassed a 3.61 ERA in seven seasons with Arizona but is coming off a career-worst season where he posted a 4.83 ERA and tied for the fifth-most home runs allowed (31).
Bowden’s ranking of Gallen as the second-best overall free agent is a testament that his talent on the mound is still highly regarded despite the down year.
What other more realistic starting pitching options are on the free agent market?
RHP Lucas Giolito (31)
Not long after the news of Gallen declining the qualifying offer emerged, reports came out that the Diamondbacks had spoken to Giolito.
Giolito has pitched for four different teams since 2023 and declined a $19 million mutual option from the Boston Red Sox after compiling a 3.41 ERA across 26 starts in 2025.
The main concern surrounding the nine-year MLB veteran is his recent injury history. He missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing internal brace elbow surgery and was unavailable for the Wild Card series against the New York Yankees due to right elbow discomfort.
While there haven’t been any further intel on talks between the two parties, Bowden still lists Arizona as a potential suitor for the sixth-best overall free agent.
RHP Chris Bassitt (36)
If the Diamondbacks are looking for back-end rotation help at a relatively cheap price, Bassitt may be worth looking at.
He’s coming off his 11th season as a major leaguer where he had a 3.96 ERA in 170.1 innings for the Toronto Blue Jays, including 8.2 innings in the postseason where he recorded a 1.04 ERA out of the bullpen.
Despite his mileage, Bassitt hasn’t made fewer than 25 starts or turned in an ERA above 4.16 since 2018.
While top contenders like the Tigers and New York Mets are the current favorites, his projection of a two-year, $32 million contract from Just Baseball means the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have to surrender much to round out the rotation.
RHP Max Scherzer (41)
Anyone up for a reunion?
The former Diamondback who played two seasons (2008-09) has already put together a Hall of Fame resume after 18 seasons, but he’s not keen on retiring yet.
Scherzer started 17 games for the Blue Jays and turned in a career-worst 5.19 ERA. However, his ALCS Game 4 performance where he pitched 5.2 innings and gave up only two runs to pick up the win proves that there’s still something left in the tank.
Bringing back an old face of the organization could give Arizona a seasoned veteran who’s valuable in the clubhouse at a bare minimum.
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