MLB: Zac Gallen’s Trade Value Just Skyrocketed — Will the D-backs Cash In?

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks are caught in a delicate dance as the MLB trade deadline nears — trying to stay competitive while whispers of selling off key pieces grow louder. And while slugger Eugenio Suárez has garnered the most attention with his 27 home runs and 70 RBIs, it’s Zac Gallen who could ultimately define the team’s deadline direction.

Gallen, the D-backs’ 28-year-old right-hander, is no stranger to trade rumors — but he’d prefer to stay out of them.

“I’d like to not be in that discussion,” Gallen told USA TODAY Sports. “It starts with me. I want to pitch well enough that the front office feels we’re still in it, that we’re a team worth adding to, not breaking apart.”

After a rocky start to the season (6–9, 5.45 ERA), Gallen reminded everyone of his ace potential last week against the San Francisco Giants. He tossed seven dominant innings, giving up just one run on five hits while striking out 10 — his best outing in months. Scouts took notice.

It was another flash of the Gallen who dominated both the Yankees and Mets earlier this year, going 3-0 with a 0.92 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 19⅔ innings against two of baseball’s biggest markets.

The irony? The better Gallen pitches, the more valuable he becomes in trade talks — and the more valuable he becomes to Arizona’s playoff hopes. With free agency looming this November, the D-backs face a tough choice: cash in now, or ride the wave and risk losing him for nothing.

For Gallen, the focus remains simple: pitch.

“It’s a thing. It’s there,” he said of the trade buzz. “It is what it is. You just go handle your business.”

With three top-10 Cy Young finishes in the past five years, Gallen knows his value. Now it’s on Arizona to decide whether to bet on his arm — or sell high before the clock runs out.