Prior to All-Star starting pitcher Framber Valdez inking a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, the Pittsburgh Pirates were reportedly one of the teams making a serious push for him. While it stings missing out on yet another top free agent, the Pirates still have a chance to sign another starting pitcher with top of the rotation potential. The top starter remaining on the market is right-hander Zac Gallen.
2025 was a down season for Gallen. He pitched to the tune of a 4.83 ERA, 4.50 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 21.5% K% and 8% BB% were roughly league average, but was prone to the long ball with a 1.45 HR/9 ratio and 9.7% barrel rate. A 4.24 SIERA, 4.12 xFIP, and 4.28 xERA indicated that bad luck played a hand in his performance. Another positive is that Gallen still made 33 starts and pitched 192 innings.
Gallen also isn’t far removed from an outstanding three season stretch. From 2022 through 2024, the right-hander owned a 3.20 ERA, 3.22 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP in 542 innings with the D-Backs. He struck out over a quarter of opponents, with a 26% K%, and only had a 6.8% walk rate. His 19.3% K-BB% was the 23rd best among qualified pitchers. Gallen was also far less prone to home runs, with a 0.83 HR/9 ratio, and an 8.2% barrel percentage.
One thing Gallen would certainly bring is stability to the Pirates’ rotation. Since 2022, Gallen has pitched 734 innings, which is the third most in baseball. He has also made 126 starts, which also ranks top five. Only 11 pitchers in total have tossed at least 700 innings since ‘22. Of those 11, Gallen, Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, and Valdez are the only ones to have an ERA+ of at least 115, and a FIP below 3.75.
Another positive is that Gallen seemed to right the ship during the second half of the season. From the start of July through the end of 2025, Gallen owned a 3.88 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and a 1.11 WHIP. While he still wasn’t striking out batters nearly as often as he was in 2022-2024, his 22.3% K% was still solid, and he lowered his BB% back down below 7% to 6.8%. Gallen was also far less prone to quality contact, with a 6.5% barrel percentage.
The Pirates should try and sign Gallen and take advantage of coming off a down year. He’ll also likely sign a multi-year deal, giving the Pirates a quality rotation option for multiple seasons. The Pirates’ already strong rotation would arguably become the best in baseball if they were to pick him up. Gallen’s durability and usual performance would make their rotation a force to be reckoned with.
