Report: D-Backs, Gallen reunite on 1-year, $22.025M deal
Zac Gallen wandered through free agency all winter and then ended up back in the desert.
The veteran right-hander has agreed to re-sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year contract, pending a physical, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Gallen's deal will pay him $22.025 million, matching the value of the qualifying offer he rejected in November, a source told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. More than half the money - approximately $14 million - will be deferred, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The contract does not contain any option years or performance incentives, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Net present value of Gallen’s deal will be lower than that of the qualifying offer, which did not include deferrals. But he can re-enter the market next offseason without a QO attached, enabling a team to sign him without losing one or more draft picks.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2026
Rejecting the D-Backs' qualifying offer left the 30-year-old attached to draft-pick compensation had he signed with another team. It's unclear how that may have affected his market. Gallen had multi-year offers on the table but eschewed them in favor of a return to Arizona, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
"I think people understand what Phoenix means to me. My wife is from here. I'm calling this home base now. So, for us to be here would be awesome," he said earlier this month about a potential return to Arizona.
The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs were connected to Gallen in recent weeks. Baltimore ended up signing Chris Bassitt to a one-year deal that was made official Friday.
The upcoming season will mark Gallen's eighth year with the D-Backs, who acquired him from Miami during his 2019 rookie campaign. He's developed into a rock for the Snakes, emerging as an NL Cy Young finalist at the top of their NL pennant-winning rotation in 2023.
However, Gallen hit free agency after a down year in 2025 that saw him post a career-worst 4.83 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, and 8.2 K/9 rate. Despite the statistical downturn, he did remain durable, making 33 starts and throwing over 180 innings for the third time in his career.
He's the second longtime D-Backs starter to re-sign with the team this winter, after Merrill Kelly - who was traded to Texas in July - returned on a two-year deal in December. Arizona also signed Michael Soroka to a one-year contract earlier in the offseason.
Gallen, an All-Star in 2023, owns a lifetime 3.58 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 1,060 strikeouts across 176 career starts.