Baltimore Orioles Showing Interest in Free Agent Zac Gallen

The Orioles are expected to cap off their strong offseason by signing a frontline starter.

Sep 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Speculation around the league maintains that the Baltimore Orioles have one more big move left in them.

The general consensus is that this move will be for a starting pitcher, and likely a free agent. After Ranger Suarez signed with the Red Sox and Freddy Peralta being traded to the Mets, the most obvious fit seems to be Framber Valdez, who began his career with Orioles POBO Mike Elias in Houston.

Valdez is clearly one of, if not the best pitcher available, but his market has been relatively quiet, with the Orioles and Mets remaining the most commonly discussed destinations. Whether it be his age (32), mileage (1,080.2 IP), or character concerns stemming from his cross-up incident, Valdez's free agency has dragged on and seems unclear whether Baltimore or any other club will commit to him long term.

Read More: How the Orioles Could Benefit from Freddy Peralta Trade

If that is the case, there are limited alternatives that would bring the same high-level stuff and experience. In a tier below would be Lucas Giolito and Chris Bassitt, who can be strong third or fourth options in a rotation, but bring injury concerns and have a ceiling lower than what many fans and insiders expect the Orioles to target at this point in the offseason.

More likely to fit the bill is Zac Gallen, who was linked to Baltimore in a January 23rd article from Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Bowden ranks Gallen as the second-best remaining free agent, only behind Valdez. He explains that while the Diamondbacks are still the front-runners to retain him, teams like the Orioles, Braves, Giants, and Tigers are all interested.

Orioles Tabbed as Landing Spot for Free Agent Pitcher Zac Gallen

Gallen, 30, will be entering his eighth professional season having spent the majority of his career in Arizona. Earning his first and only All-Star appearance in 2023, the right-hander has seen a slight dip in production over the past two years which has likely cooled his market enough to see him remain unsigned well into January.

Gallen is also tied to a compensation draft pick after rejecting the Diamondbacks' qualifying offer. But as Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported just a few weeks ago, the Orioles are willing to lose a draft pick to sign a free agent starter attached to the QO. While this report specifically referenced Valdez and Suarez, it is likely they would extend the same logic if serious about bringing in Gallen.

Zac Gallen's 13 Strikeouts. #torpedoed pic.twitter.com/3ZoDA0p4Xc

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 3, 2025

Despite the down season, there is reason to believe Gallen can still be the same pitcher he was years ago. He has not seen any considerable dip in velocity over the years and ramped back up to a full workload in 2025 (33 starts) following a 2024 season where he missed a chunk of time due to a hamstring injury.

Read More: Orioles showing interest in multiple-time Cy Young winner

With a four-seam fastball that sits around 93 mph, Gallen has been effective due to his wide arsenal of pitches that includes a nasty knuckle-curve, as well as a changeup, slider, cutter, and sinker. Gallen's underlying metrics in 2025 make him a potential bounce back candidate this season. It is very likely that he will opt for a short-term 'prove-it' deal, potentially a one-year contract or something with an opt-out after the first year, to have the opportunity to hit the open market again next offseason after a stronger campaign and still only 31 years old.

This kind of deal could certainly be attractive the Orioles' front office, who won't have to commit long-term to a pitcher with some considerable tread on his tires. As it currently stands, it appears that Baltimore is keying in on Valdez and Gallen as their next signing, with veterans Bassitt and Justin Verlander as potential pivots.

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