Trade season is officially upon us, and the Arizona Diamondbacks have wasted no time getting started.
On Thursday, the Diamondbacks agreed on a deal with the Seattle Mariners that would send first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners in exchange for two talented pitching prospects.
Following the shocking Naylor deal, FanSided’s Zachary Rotman predicted the Diamondbacks would trade starting pitcher Zac Gallen in the coming days, too.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 21: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the Houston Astros at Chase Field on July 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 21: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the Houston Astros at Chase Field on July 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. Norm Hall/Getty Images
“Zac Gallen was once one of the best starting pitchers in the game, but he, for whatever reason, has struggled mightily at the worst possible time for Arizona. In fact, among 62 qualified starting pitchers, Gallen’s 5.58 ERA ranks 61st, and his 0.0 fWAR is dead last,” Rotman wrote. “He’s arguably been the worst qualified starter in baseball this season, which is insane for a guy who was a Cy Young finalist just two years ago.
“Gallen’s value won’t be nearly as high as Diamondbacks fans would like, but given his track record, contenders needing starting pitching help will want to give him a shot to turn his season around. It’d be foolish for the Diamondbacks to commit to him long-term anyway, so trading Gallen while they still can is the only logical decision.”
Gallen is the clear next move for Arizona to make. It’s likely the Diamondbacks will look to hold onto Eugenio Suárez until the final day before the deadline so he can continue to build his value.
Trading Gallen is a clear move to make. The Diamondbacks have watched him struggle this season, and holding him until the end of the year doesn’t benefit the team at all.
Trading him for a few prospects would benefit the team quite a bit. Then, if they wanted to reunite with Gallen, they could try to sign him in free agency. But at the end of the day, it’s probably best for the two sides to part ways going forward.
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