Zac Gallen Re-Ups with Diamondbacks, Not Cubs – And It Makes Sense for Both Sides

For much of the offseason, Zac Gallen’s name kept surfacing in connection with the Chicago Cubs. There was real smoke around the idea – and for good reason.

Gallen, a two-time Cy Young finalist, has the kind of upside that makes front offices perk up, even after a down year. But as spring training camps opened across the league, the buzz finally settled: Gallen is staying put in Arizona.

Let’s unpack what happened – and why the ending isn’t all that surprising.

Gallen’s Market Dried Up Fast

Gallen, 30, hit free agency at the worst possible time. His 2025 campaign was the roughest of his career, and while he showed signs of life in the second half, the dip in performance clearly spooked potential suitors. What was supposed to be a lucrative winter turned into a quiet one, with few teams stepping up with serious offers.

That’s part of why the Cubs remained loosely in the mix. Chicago saw an opportunity – a potential buy-low scenario on a pitcher with front-line talent.

For a team eyeing both short-term competitiveness and long-term flexibility, Gallen made some sense. Especially considering that three of the Cubs’ veteran starters could hit free agency after 2026, adding a high-upside arm on the right deal would’ve been a smart hedge.

Why the Cubs Ultimately Passed

The interest was real. But the fit? Not so much – not once the contract structure came into focus.

Gallen ended up taking a one-year deal to return to the Diamondbacks, a move that allows him to reset his value and re-enter the market after (hopefully) a bounce-back season. But from the Cubs’ perspective, that kind of short-term commitment came with a major catch: the qualifying offer penalty.

Because Gallen had rejected Arizona’s qualifying offer, any team signing him – other than the D-backs – would have to forfeit a draft pick. And for the Cubs, that was a non-starter if the deal only guaranteed them one season.

Jed Hoyer and the front office weren’t about to give up draft capital for a pitcher who could walk after one year. That’s not how this front office operates, especially when the long-term plan is still taking shape.

Arizona Was Always the Logical Landing Spot

For Gallen, the decision to re-sign with Arizona checks out. He gets to stay in a familiar environment, avoid the QO penalty for the team, and – most importantly – bet on himself. If he puts together a strong 2026, he’ll re-enter free agency next winter with a chance to cash in properly.

From the Diamondbacks’ side, it’s a win, too. They retain a homegrown ace without losing a draft pick, and they get another year to evaluate whether Gallen is still part of their long-term core.

The Hype Didn’t Match the Reality

It’s easy to understand why the Gallen-to-Cubs rumors gained traction. The Cubs need rotation depth.

Gallen has elite upside. The market was slow.

But in the end, the financial and strategic pieces just didn’t align.

The Cubs were interested – no doubt about that. But once it became clear that Gallen’s camp was focused on a short-term, opt-out-heavy deal, the writing was on the wall. Chicago wasn’t going to bite, and Gallen wasn’t going to compromise on a structure that limited his ability to re-enter free agency soon.

So he’s back in the desert, and the Cubs will continue to explore other options to round out their rotation. It’s not the splash some fans were hoping for, but it’s a reminder that sometimes the quiet moves – or the non-moves – are the ones that make the most sense.