Cubs Could Trade for Zac Gallen as a ‘Fresh Start’ After Poor 2025 Numbers

Sometimes MLB players just need a fresh start. It's not always that they "got worse" or have fallen off — they just need a new environment to recapture some of the things that made fans fall in love with them.

Zac Gallen is a perfect example. The Arizona Diamondbacks starter was a National League Cy Young Award finalist just two years ago in 2023, but has taken a sharp downturn.

He currently sits with a 5.58 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. While his 116 strikeouts are impressive, it does not fully make up for the lacking numbers compared to what he is known to produce.

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Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly released his list of "MLB Trade Proposals to Revive Players in Need of a Fresh Start" and put forward Gallen as a potential target for the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs could use another arm for the playoffs, and Gallen could fill that void while giving himself a fresh environment to succeed in.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen throwing a pitch in a gray uniform. — Jul 7, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) delivers during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

"The Cubs are a team in win-now mode given Kyle Tucker can become a free agent after this season," Kelly wrote. "They have a strong one-two starting rotation punch with Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, but they could use another frontline option to take the ball for them in the postseason. Gallen, when he's right, fits that bill."

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Gallen is 29 years old and turns 30 on Aug. 3. He had a 3.47 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 2023 when he was a Cy Young finalist.

His high strikeout numbers could be helpful for the Cubs' starting rotation, which ranks 23rd in strikeouts per nine innings according to FanGraphs. Gallen's poor numbers could indicate that the compensation

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Chicago would need to give up could be lower than what many thought it would take at the start of the year.

The Cubs have fallen out of first place in the NL Central because of, you guess it, the pitching. They've allowed a total of 37 runs in their last four losses.

Whether it is Gallen or someone else, the starting rotation is expected to be a priority at the approaching deadline.

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