Former D-backs Ace Predicted to Sign Surprising Deal with Angels

Could Zac Gallen sign a deal of this nature with the Angels?

Sep 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Former Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen officially turned down his Qualifying Offer this past week. Now, it's time for him to test his free agency market.

There's been some speculation as to whether or not the D-backs would make an attempt to bring back the arm that helped take them all the way to the World Series in 2023, but with reductions in payroll coming, it seems most likely Gallen will end up with another club.

A recent article from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller listed out the Qualifying Offer-rejecting free agents across MLB, with a prediction for where each will sign — and for what amount.

Miller's prediction for Gallen was an interesting one: four years, $96 million with the Los Angeles Angels.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen Predicted Surprise Deal

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Chase Field on Sept. 3, 2025. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here's what Miller had to say about the projection:

"Isn't Zac Gallen exactly the type of pitcher that some atypical team like the Angels will scoop up; willing to pay ~20 percent above the current market price because it's still a good 20-25 percent below what the market price would have been one year ago?

"[Gallen] was healthy enough to not miss a turn through the rotation. He just wasn't his usual dominant self, mostly due to what was horrific HR/FB luck through his first 21 starts, but also due to less swing-and-miss stuff than he used to have.

"If he bounces back to pre-2025 form, even a 4/$96M deal would become a laughably team-friendly contract. And if he doesn't sniff nine figures on a deal, the Boras Special would make a lot of sense for him."

Miller's projection does, in some strange way, make a lot of sense for Arizona's former ace — a struggling AL team that needs pitching above all else, with a chance for Gallen to get a fresh start in a relatively low-pressure environment.

In Anaheim, Gallen would face the same challenge he did in 2022 and 2023: helping a struggling, pitching-needy team claw their way back into relevance. The price point would likely be close to satisfying Boras, though he may hold out for a deal above $100 million.

If this deal were to happen, the D-backs would benefit in the form of a first-round draft pick by way of compensation. But if he receives an offer worth well above $20 million a year, that would all by rule him out from a return to Arizona.

There does, however, lie a possibility that he'll end up on a short-term deal due to Boras' tendency to shoot high. The D-backs could very well lose out on that draft compensation as a result.

But it also seems somewhat unlikely that the Angels would so heavily pursue an arm like Gallen, even if he's exactly the type of arm they would both need and be able to obtain.

Related Content: How Scott Boras Could Cost the Diamondbacks a Top Draft Pick