Despite a crowded rotation, the Cubs continue talks with top free agent pitcher Zac Gallen. Could a shorter-term deal make sense for Chicago?
The Chicago Cubs have already had a very successful offseason.
Their two biggest moves were signing Alex Bregman and trading for Edward Cabrera. The Cubs agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract with Bregman and traded their top prospect to acquire an up-and-coming pitcher in Cabrera.
However, it appears Chicago isn’t done adding to its roster for the 2026 season.
According to Bruce Levine, Chicago is still in contact with free agent pitcher Zac Gallen. Gallen is one of the top remaining pitchers on the open market, and the Cubs are in the running for the former All-Star.
“Those talks are ongoing,” Levine said on 670 The Score. “My reporting is the possibility is that it’ll be a shorter-term type of deal.”
It is somewhat interesting that the Cubs are still in on Gallen. They were interested in him earlier this offseason, but that was before the team acquired Cabrera. With the addition of Cabrera, Chicago’s rotation is mostly complete for 2026.
The Cubs' rotation will consist of Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd to start the season. Then, Justin Steele will eventually be added to the picture once he recovers from his elbow injury. That gives the team six strong arms, with Colin Rea and Javier Assad as potential fill-ins behind the starters.
Therefore, starting pitching isn’t necessarily a need for this team heading into Spring Training. The North Siders have five quality arms to start the 2026 season, and Steele is expected to be ready to go at some point in the first half.
That makes it hard to believe that Gallen will wind up with the Cubs. Even if the former Diamondbacks pitcher settles for a shorter-term deal, he will still likely command over $18 million per season.
There’s no doubt that getting Gallen would be a nice addition for the Cubs. Teams can never have too many arms, and the right-hander is just three years removed from a top-3 National League Cy Young finish. He ended that 2023 campaign with a 3.47 ERA and 220 strikeouts across 210 innings pitched.
The problem, though, is that the Cubs don’t necessarily need Gallen. They already have six solid pitchers once everyone is healthy and have the depth to get them through the entire season.
If the front office is so adamant about adding one more piece to their roster, Cody Bellinger would be a better target than Gallen. That’s the route the Cubs should go if they want to add another impactful free agent this winter.