Free agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen declined the Arizona Diamondbacks’ qualifying offer on Tuesday, which was the deadline for certain players to decide whether to return to their clubs on a one-year deal or test free agency, MLB insider Jon Heyman first reported on Tuesday.
The Diamondbacks extended the one-year, $22.05 million deal to Gallen at the start of the offseason, ensuring the club would receive draft capital if Gallen turned it down and signed elsewhere. Meanwhile, any other team that signs Gallen would forfeit a pick.
Gallen, 30, declining the offer does not prevent him from re-upping with the Diamondbacks, the club he’s pitched for since the 2019 trade deadline. It would not cost the D-backs a pick to re-sign him.
Arizona has clear starting pitching needs, but a lower payroll with significant money tied up in injured players is going to force some tough decisions this offseason.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that the industry is mixed on Gallen, considering his track record from 2019-24 was very strong before he skidded through his worst season in 2025.
The home run ball vexed him, with a career-high 31 given up — nearly twice as many as he averaged in his previous four seasons. Some teams see that as a sign that worse is ahead. Others believe it’s an outlier and that he’s in line for some positive regression. Gallen will benefit most from the high prices being asked on the trade market, which serves to turn teams back to signings.
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What projections say about Zac Gallen's free agent market
Diamondbacks extend RHP Zac Gallen the qualifying offer
The trade market is going to be dictated by whether Detroit makes two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal available before his walk year, whether Milwaukee is willing to part with No. 1 Freddy Peralta and if a young and controllable ace like Hunter Greene of Cincinnati joins the trade block.
The top free agents are lefties Framber Valdez (Houston) and Ranger Suarez (Philadelphia), followed by Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai.
Gallen’s agent, Scott Boras, told reporters at his pun-filled general managers meetings media scrum last week that he knows a lot of teams are going to “quart” (court) Gallen, particularly given his track record of being durable.
The right-hander has averaged 183.5 innings per season since 2022 in an era where pitching injuries have dominated the sport. He entered 2025 with a career ERA of 3.29, but home runs and walks ballooned his ERA to 5.60 by last year’s trade deadline. He salvaged the rest of the season and finished with a 4.83 mark in 192 frames.
Market projections are a bit all over the place.
What happens if Zac Gallen leaves in free agency?
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
If Gallen opts to sign with another club, the Diamondbacks would receive a draft pick. The better he does in free agency, the better Arizona’s return becomes.
If he signs a deal worth at least $50 million, the D-backs would add a pick between the first round and competitive balance round A in the 2026 draft. If he signs a deal for less than $50 million, the D-backs’ compensatory pick would land after competitive balance round B.
Last year, the Diamondbacks lost first baseman Christian Walker, who signed a $60 million deal with Houston after declining the qualifying offer. The D-backs added the No. 29 overall pick, which they used on Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes, whom MLB Pipeline has ranked eighth on Arizona’s top prospects list.
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