Arizona Diamondbacks
For a qualified free agent stuck on the market, sometimes a homecoming just makes the most sense. The Diamondbacks are the only team in the Majors that wouldn’t forfeit a draft pick to get Gallen in the fold, and that alone makes them a sensible fit. Additionally, Arizona’s pitching staff is in serious need of help. Adding Gallen would be wise given the team’s lack of experienced rotation depth and a fifth starter (Michael Soroka) which has had sustainability issues. His addition could push some of those depth starters into the mix for a bullpen that lacks impact options Justin Martinez And AJ Puk both would open the season on the injured list. The biggest obstacle to an Arizona-Gallen reunion is money; Ownership hasn’t been shy about their desire to trim payroll that has hovered in the neighborhood of $190 million for the past two years, and unless ownership makes an exception for a beloved old D-back, the Snakes are more or less at their limit.
Baltimore Orioles
The O’s entered the season with a need to upgrade the rotation. They have acquired Shane Baz and reformatted Zach Eflinbut neither is a surefire front end of the rotation arm. That includes Gallen after that shaky showing in 2025, but at his peak he was the type of arm Baltimore wants. Add Gallen to a rotation including Trevor Rogers, Kyle BradishBaz, Eflin and Daan Kremer would be a more aggressive approach than the O’s took last winter in signing back-end veterans like Tomoyuki Sugano And Charlie Morton to one-year deals. Baltimore’s payroll is still nearly $20 million lower than last year’s opening day, so there shouldn’t be any major financial hurdles.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have already had a big offseason, headlined by their Alex Bregman signing and a trade to Marlins Righty Edward Cabrera. The Cabrera trade has given the Cubs a deep pool of starting pitching options that are being pushed Colin Rea And Javier Assad in deep roles, and even more sidekicks to help along the way in rehabbing southpaws Justin Steele returns sometime in the first half. Still, the team’s starting pitchers all have troubling injury histories. That includes Cabrera, who briefly went on the IL in September with an elbow issue. Adding a healthy workhorse like Gallen could make a lot of sense to raise the floor, and with talented arms like Steele, Cabrera and Cade Horton in the mix, Gallen may be under less pressure to deliver the top-level results he has shown in the past.
San Diego Padres
The Padres have been clear about their desire to add another starter, and Gallen could be exactly the kind of high-upside arm the team needs to credibly replace Dylan stops. It wouldn’t be the first time president of baseball operations AJ Preller made a big move in the final months before Opening Day. Cease was acquired in March 2024, while it was legitimate Nick Pivetta signed with San Diego last February. The biggest obstacle for Gallen to follow in their footsteps could be financial, as it’s unclear how much wiggle room the Padres have left. Maybe the team is working on the details of veteran Righty Yu Darvish‘s possible departure from the club could create the budget space needed to land Gallen.
Other options
While the aforementioned quartet of clubs may be the most likely destinations for Gallen, they are not the only ones. Detroit could have made sense as a candidate for Gallen, but their deal with Valdez certainly takes them out of the starting pitching market at this point. The Angels have recently been linked to the right-hander, but they are seen as a bit of a gamble and are by far the least competitive team in this group. Atlanta is known to be looking for a veteran starter, but it’s unclear if the team wants the kind of $20 million-plus annual salary Gallen is looking for. The Blue Jays were linked to Valdez shortly before he signed, suggesting a willingness to continue expanding their rotation, but Gallen may not be considered impactful enough to warrant the push. Cody Ponce And Jose Berrios from the fifth starter job. The Giants were also committed to Gallen earlier this winter, but have since signed Adriaan Huiser And Tyler Mahle. President of baseball operations Buster Posey last week downplayed the idea of adding another starter, but San Francisco’s rotation has both injury and workload concerns. Logan Webb.
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