The St. Louis Cardinals were considered to be a consistent contending ball club not that long ago. The past few years have not gone according to plan in St. Louis, however, as the Cardinals have not reached the postseason since 2022. Following another difficult season in 2025, the Cardinals may be considering a rebuild. Regardless of whether or not they choose to rebuild, pursuing one specific free agent this offseason makes sense for St. Louis.
There will be a number of talented free agents available during the upcoming offseason. Arizona Diamondbacks star Zac Gallen did not pitch up to his lofty expectations in 2025, but he may be the perfect pitcher to pursue for this Cardinals ball club.
Why Zac Gallen?
Gallen’s contract year did not go according to plan. Not only did Arizona miss the postseason, but the right-handed hurler pitched to a lackluster 4.83 ERA across 192 innings of work. He also struck out 175 hitters in his 33 appearances.
The Cardinals desperately need a reliable ace. Sure, Gallen was not necessarily reliable in 2025, but he did pitch in over 30 games — something he has accomplished in three of the past four years. Gallen has also recorded an ERA of 3.65 or lower in three of the past four seasons.
The underlying numbers suggest that Gallen could get back on track in 2026. He surrendered a 43 hard-hit percentage in 2025 — which is only a couple of percentage points above his career 41.2 hard-hit percentage. The statistic that may tell the story is the fly-ball rate Gallen finished with.
Opposing batters hit the ball in the air 30.3 percent of the time this past season — the highest mark of Gallen’s career. The result? A career-worst 3.8 home run percentage and 31 total home runs surrendered.
Gallen’s strikeout rate declined a bit as well, but he could become an All-Star caliber pitcher once again in 2026 by simply keeping the ball on the ground more.
At 30 years old, there is a chance Gallen will want a long-term deal. There is an argument for Gallen to seek a one-year prove-it contract, but the Cardinals could still make things work. Perhaps he would be open to signing a two or three-year contract with a player option.
Cardinals’ starting pitching woes
St. Louis finished 2025 with a 4.29 team ERA — which was 21st in the big leagues. The Cardinals’ starters all seemed to struggle. Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas both finished with ERAs worse than 4.00.
As mentioned earlier, St. Louis clearly needs a reliable ace at the top of the rotation. Signing a pitcher such as Gallen to a long-term deal would give them a quality starter for years to come. However, it does remain to be seen if Gallen will want a long-term contract this offseason.
If the money is right, perhaps he will consider signing a multi-year contract. Even in that scenario, Gallen’s deal may not be quite as expensive as other star pitchers given his 2025 struggles. What some may consider an over-pay could prove to be a steal for the Cardinals if Gallen returns to form.
Zac Gallen would not solve all of the Cardinals’ roster concerns. The team would still need to add rotation depth and more bats on offense. With that being said, signing a pitcher with a high-ceiling like Gallen could be a pivotal step toward returning to the postseason.
There will likely be competition when it comes to pursuing Gallen. The Cardinals should still consider at least checking in with the veteran pitcher this offseason.
