The New York Mets are staring down a critical stretch with their starting rotation already battered by injuries.
It’s a situation that feels like a leak springing in an old boat — patch one hole, and another bursts open.
As they head toward the trade deadline, the front office knows reinforcements are badly needed to keep playoff hopes alive.
But making a panic move could backfire spectacularly.
Why Zac Gallen’s name keeps popping up
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen might be the Mets’ most logical trade target.
Gallen is under contract through the rest of the 2025 season, which gives New York only the rest of the season before having to decide on his future.
For a team that doesn’t want to throw valuable prospects at a pure rental, the cost would have to be very nominal.
On paper, it looks like a smart hedge.
But once you dig into Gallen’s numbers this season, the idea becomes far less convincing.
Underwhelming 2024 has raised plenty of red flags
Across 110 innings pitched this year, Zac Gallen has stumbled to a bloated 5.15 ERA.
That’s a sharp downturn from the frontline starter he once looked like.
Even more concerning, his strikeouts are down to just 8.75 per nine innings, a career low.
His ground ball rate sits at 40.7%, also his worst since his rookie campaign back in 2019.
This means hitters are lifting the ball more against him — never a good sign, especially in a hitter-friendly park like Citi Field.
Only a few encouraging signs remain
If you’re searching for silver linings, Gallen’s whiff and strikeout rates are slightly above league average, hanging about 2-10% higher.
That suggests his stuff still has bite, even if results aren’t lining up.
He’s also opened July on a brighter note after a dreadful June, perhaps indicating he’s starting to turn the corner.
Still, his fastball velocity averages just 91.1 mph, and in today’s game, that’s more mid-tier than menacing.
The Mets must decide if Gallen is worth the risk
Trading for Zac Gallen would be rolling the dice on a pitcher whose best days might already be behind him.
It’s like buying a luxury car with a questionable engine — it looks good from the curb but could break down the moment you drive it off the lot.
The Mets need stability in the rotation more than a shaky reclamation project, especially one on an expiring deal that could walk in free agency.
Of course, if the cost is reasonable and Arizona isn’t asking for a king’s ransom, the gamble might pay off.
- Mets’ prospect is turning heads in Triple-A — can he become a factor in the second half?
- Mets send outfielder/DH to the injured list with back inflammation, make multiple roster moves
- Orioles reportedly ‘close’ to being ‘open for business’ as Mets and Yankees pay attention
Mets can’t afford another expensive mistake
For a franchise trying to rebuild around a sustainable core, throwing top prospects at a struggling pitcher isn’t just risky — it could be reckless.
The Mets should stay focused on arms with genuine upside or secure multiple years of team control without gutting the farm.
That’s the balancing act general manager David Stearns faces as the clock ticks toward the trade deadline.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();