Even after losing Juan Soto, the New York Yankees have opened the 2025 season with baseball’s hottest bats.
The team leads all Major League Baseball clubs with 25 home runs, and also leads in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. That offensive prowess has driven a 6-2 start to the season, though the team’s pitching has been a bit of a different story.
After watching franchise ace Gerritt Cole go down with a season-ending injury in spring training and losing Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt for extended periods with preseason injuries of their own, the Yankees could be looking for a significant addition to the staff.
Though he’d be an unlikely candidate to join the Yankees this season, the team was reportedly impressed with pending free agent Zac Gallen when the Arizona Diamondbacks were in town on Wednesday.
“While the Yankees were striking out 13 times against Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, the front office was drooling,” according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “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 has been one of baseball’s most durable and effective starters in the past few seasons, making at least 28 starts in each of the past three campaigns and making an All-Star game in 2023. The 29-year-old is earning $13.5 million this season before the chance of becoming a free agent.
He could still earn an extension from the Diamondbacks, but Nightengale added that could be difficult as they already have a highly-paid ace on the roster.
“The Diamondbacks would love to have him back, but it’s unrealistic to believe they can afford two $200 million pitchers on their staff with Corbin Burnes signing a six-year, $210 million contract last winter,” he noted.
With Gallen projected to command a major contract for 2026 and beyond, the Yankees could see him as a good fit. But they’re also facing their own budget restraints, with Cole set to earn $36 million, Carlos Rodon set to earn $27.8 million and Max Fried set to earn $14.5 million in 2026.
Adding Gallen and a salary that might reach $200 million in total could be beyond the Yankees’ means, no matter how good he looked in their recent matchup.
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