The Philadelphia Phillies' offseason has come to a screeching halt after their swing and a miss on shortstop Bo Bichette. He seemed like the Phillies' last free agent splash attempt, but that doesn't mean they're done making moves to improve the roster.
With less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, the Phillies may have an opportunity to snag a starting pitcher like former Arizona Diamondbacks' starter Zac Gallen to bolster the rotation for the 2026 season. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Phillies are still seriously considering starting pitching, so it's entirely possible.
Gallen is still on the market after hitting free agency, with minimal publicly rumored interest heading into February. Gallen may have a market behind the scenes, but he's still available for the Phillies to take a chance on him. The signing would make sense in several ways and would add depth to a starting rotation that has some questions, different from how the position has felt the last couple of seasons.
Zac Gallen might just fall into the Phillies' lap with spring training around the corner
Gallen's walk year in 2025 wasn't the most encouraging, with a 13-15 record, 4.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 175 strikeouts in 192 innings. He still made 33 starts, the second-most in his career, but also gave up a career-high 31 home runs, fourth-most in MLB.
The Phillies would be looking for a bounce-back season, with optimism that the coaching staff can resurrect some of his previous success. Gallen has a career 3.58 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in seven MLB seasons.
He'll be entering his age-30 season in 2026, so there's still a lot to work with before age catches up with him. The Phillies would be buying low on someone who also grew up in Somerdale, New Jersey. It would be a fun storyline if the Phillies see a real fit for Gallen.
With Ranger Suárez leaving for the Boston Red Sox and questions about when Zack Wheeler will return to the rotation there will be a hole to fill. Gallen could slot in alongside Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, and (hopefully) Andrew Painter to begin the year. The Phillies also have Taijuan Walker, but it's still unknown how the Phillies will approach him. He could certainly provide depth to the rotation.
Something that could be a road block is the fact that Gallen is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who is notorious for getting the most for his clients. But that may also be the reason Gallen is still without a team close to the end of January.
Perhaps his market didn't develop the way he'd hoped after declining the $22.025 million qualifying offer from Arizona, forcing whoever signs Gallen to pay a penalty. In the Phillies' case they'd have to give up two draft picks and $1 million in international bonus pool money. So it wouldn't be a decision made lightly.
Gallen would be a gamble with a lot to consider, but the Phillies also know they have to strengthen the rotation after Suárez's departure. He could fall into their lap with a cheaper deal that's tough to turn down. Gallen can give needed starts and if it starts to click during the season, he'll give the Phillies much more.