It's no secret that the Chicago Cubs need rotation help. Just last season – thanks in part to a season-ending injury to Justin Steele – the Cubs had one of the more inconsistent starting rotations in baseball. Despite the emergence of Cade Horton and Shota Imanaga, the Cubs are short reliable starters. That's where Zac Gallen comes in.
Gallen is reportedly negotiating a four-year deal with the Cubs that would pay him $22 million annually. If that seems like a lot of money for a pitcher who finished last season with a 4.83 ERA, that's because it is.
The Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing an agreement with free-agent starter Zac Gallen on a multi-year deal that will pay him an average of $22 million a year. Gallen, with three top-10 Cy Young finishes, has averaged 32 starts a year for the past 4 seasons.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 6, 2025
UPDATE: The Chicago Cubs are HOPEFUL of finalizing an agreement with free-agent starter Zac Gallen on a multi-year deal, but the deal is NOT DONE with others still in contention. Gallen, with three top-10 Cy Young finishes, has averaged 32 starts a year for the past 4 seasons.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 6, 2025
Zac Gallen contract grade: Sure seems like this would be a Cubs overpay
The Cubs need innings-eaters, so on the surface I understand the deal. Gallen has averaged at least 32 starts per season over the last four years, as Bob Nightengale mentioned when announcing the deal. Yet, it's not a good sign that when revealing his big scoop, Nightengale refused to mention Gallen's ERA, or dive deeper into any advanced statistics. It's because they're not kind to Gallen, a former NL Cy Young candidate who took a significant step back in 2025 like many Arizona Diamondbacks.
As Nightengale clarified in a follow-up tweet, the deal is not done just yet, and the two sides are negotiating. ESPN's Jeff Passan took matters a step further.
Zac Gallen does not have a deal and is not close to finalizing one.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 6, 2025
For the sake of this article (and two conflicting reports), let's operate under the assumption that the two sides are discussing a deal. If it is indeed for $22 million per season, that's a bit much considering the other starting pitchers available, such as Framber Valdez and Tatsuya Imai.
Grade this offer: C, Cubs can do better.
What the Cubs rotation would look like with Zac Gallen in it
If Gallen is added to the Cubs starting rotation – which is looking less certain by the minute thanks to Nightengale's quick trigger – he likely won't start near the top of it. While the Cubs do have some uncertainty in the rotation, players like Steele, Imanaga and Cade Horton all pitched better than Gallen last season. Sure, Gallen's pedigree has to mean something, but it doesn't guarantee him a slot in the top-3 of this rotation.
Pitching slot | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Justin Steele |
2 | Cade Horton |
3 | Shota Imanaga |
4 | Zac Gallen |
5 | Matthew Boyd |
For all I know, Boyd could move up in the rotation as well thanks to his impressive 2025 season, which frankly came out of nowhere. Again, what Gallen does offer the Cubs is an innings-eater who could bounce back from a rough 2025 campaign. Prior to last season, his ERA was under four the three campaigns prior.
Who should the Cubs target instead of Zac Gallen?
Since Gallen has a qualifying offer attached, it doesn't seem like the Cubs are afraid of losing out on draft capital. That means starting pitchers like Valdezs, Ranger Suarez, Michael King and more are in play for them.
Dylan Cease already signed a seven-year contract worth $210 million with the Toronto Blue Jays. That $30 million AAV gives Cubs fans an idea of what the market will be for the top-tier starting pitchers available. Valdez is expected to receive a contract north of $33 million AAV, per spotrac, so he might be a little out of Chicago's price range. However, given they are expected to lose Kyle Tucker this winter, they could use some of that theoretical cash to land a top-tier starting pitcher, of which Gallen does not qualify in my opinion.
With Cease off the board already, Suarez makes a lot of sense for the Cubs. He'll cost a bit more than the $22 million AAV Chicago reportedly wants to give Gallen, but he's been more consistent the last two seasons with the Phillies. Just last year, Suarez had a 3.20 ERA and 4.70 WAR, ranking near the top of this free-agent class in both departments.