Chicago Cubs should avoid this one particular trade at all costs

The Chicago Cubs will almost certainly add a starting pitcher before the MLB trade deadline, even after acquiring Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins over the winter.

Cade Horton is out for the season, Justin Steele’s timetable has been warped thanks to a recent setback and Matthew Boyd is on the injured list due to a meniscus tear. Throw in the fact that Cabrera hasn’t exactly looked great, either, and yeah; the Cubs definitely need another arm in their rotation.

The good news for Chicago is that there should be no shortage of options available between now and Aug. 3, and the Cubs have already been linked to big names like Robbie Ray and Sandy Alcantara. But while either one of Ray or Alcantara would be fine additions, there is another pitcher Chicago should avoid at all costs: Zac Gallen.

The Arizona Diamondbacks could move Gallen in the coming months, and it’s important to remember that the Cubs were pitched as a potential free-agent destination for him this past offseason, as well. But would Chicago really pursue a trade for a pitcher who is clearly declining?

Chicago Cubs should avoid Zac Gallen at all costs

There was a time not too long ago when Gallen was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He finished third in NL Cy Young voting as recently as 2023, and in 2022, he pitched to the tune of a 2.54 ERA while posting a minuscule 0.913 WHIP. He also racked up 192 strikeouts over 184 innings.

That Gallen appears to be long gone.

The 30-year-old began declining in 2024 when he recorded a 3.65 ERA and 2.89 K/BB ratio, and last season, his ERA ballooned to 4.83 as his strikeout-to-walk ratio continued to dip. He remained on the open market for quite some time in free agency as a result, but ultimately returned to the Diamondbacks on a one-year, $22 million contract.

Things have gotten even worse for Gallen this season, as he lays claim to a 5.65 ERA through his first nine starts. His WHIP has climbed to 1.535, and his punchout rate has plummeted with Gallen logging a 6.1 K/9.

Gallen’s velocity is relatively the same, but his breaking stuff has fallen off a cliff. Perhaps it’s mechanical and can be fixed, because it’s not like Gallen is that old. But the Cubs should not be the team to take that chance.

There should be plenty of other more compelling options than Gallen available, and Chicago should see those through.

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