The New York Yankees sit atop the American League East division as they look to return to the World Series with better results in 2025.
The team underwent a dramatic overhaul since falling in the Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers. After slugger Juan Soto joined the New York Mets, the Yankees answered by adding the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Max Fried, Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger.
And while those additions have been enough to buoy the team against a series of unfortunate injuries, it seems clear that the starting rotation could use some reinforcement. Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt have all been knocked off the mound by injuries of varying degrees.
As a result, the Yankees will almost certainly make a substantial rotation addition sooner or later. With an eye toward the next free agent class, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the team has interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen.
“While the Yankees were striking out 13 times against Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, the front office was drooling,” Nightengale wrote. “Gallen will be a free agent after the season, and loves life back East growing up in the Philadelphia area.”
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Gallen is not off to a great start so far in 2025, with a 5.60 ERA in his first five games, but he’s served as the Diamondbacks’ ace for several years, earning Cy Young Award votes in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Facing the prospect of free agency at the end of this season, Gallen could land a major payday from a team like the Yankees. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter projected that a nine-figure deal is essentially guaranteed, tabbing Gallen as a top-three talent in the upcoming class.
“Age and track record should make him a lock for a contract north of $100 million,” Reuter wrote. “He is ‘1A’ to Dylan Cease’s ‘1’ among the top starting pitchers of the 2025-26 class.”
As the Yankees reassess the state of a rotation that’s been decimated in 2025, they could be preparing a blockbuster contract for Gallen.
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