Diamondbacks Predicted to Trade Former Cy Young Winner Amid Season-Long Struggles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
An offseason haul that included Josh Naylor, Corbin Burnes and others had the Arizona Diamondbacks looking like the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
The early part of the season indicated Arizona would indeed be a thorn in the side of the Dodgers and one of the best teams in the NL. The last two weeks have proved the opposite of that, as the Diamondbacks have fallen to 29-31 and fourth place in the division.
Because of that slide, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer has predicted Arizona will move former Cy Young winner Zac Gallen prior to the trade deadline.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 17: Starting pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after giving up a home run to Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of the...
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 17: Starting pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after giving up a home run to Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on May 17, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. More"Things have taken a turn for the weird for Gallen since his sustained run as a Cy Young-caliber ace between 2020 and 2023," Rymer writes. "The 32 walks are especially out of character, and the decline in his fastball velocity to just 93.2 mph is also a concern. Yet the knuckle-curve and the changeup still play as bat-missing pitches, and the worst you'll get with him is a guy who can give you six innings regularly. Like with Alcantara, the best you'll get is a No. 1."
Along with the 32 walks, Gallen's 5.13 ERA is also another area of concern. He has just four starts this season in which he's allowed less than two earned runs, with Tuesday's outing being the most recent one. He has allowed at least four earned runs in seven of his 13 starts this season, matching the number of times he did that all of last season.
Another thing that could factor into Gallen being a potential trade candidate would be his contract situation. He is set to be a free agent after this season, making him an even more attractive half-season rental for a playoff hopeful team.
Gallen's ability to improve his season stats, combined with Arizona's failure to improve on its record and playoff chances, could make him one of the most coveted trade targets if the Diamondbacks decide to make him available.
More MLB: This 280-Strikeout Pitcher Continues to Struggle After Injuries
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San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
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Dallas Stars fire coach Pete DeBoer after losing in the West final and pulling Jake Oettinger
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer was fired Friday after three seasons with the team, getting to the Western Conference final each time but never advancing past that for a shot at the Stanley Cup. The move came less than a week since the Stars ended their season in a 6-3 loss at home to Edmonton in Game 5 of the West final. DeBoer made the curious and much-discussed decision to bench Jake Oettinger after his star goalie gave up two goals on two shots in the first 7:09. Two days later, the coach acknowledged he still hadn't talked to Oettinger about that decision. 'After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,' longtime general manager Jim Nill said. The Oilers won four consecutive games in the series after the Stars had a five-goal outburst in the third period of Game 1 to win by that same 6-3 score. Dallas became the first team to reach the conference finals three seasons in a row without winning at least one Cup title under the playoff format that began in 1994. The Stars didn't even give themselves a chance to play for one. DeBoer, who turns 57 this month, had a 149-68-29 record in regular-season games and 22-17 in the playoffs with the Stars, whose 113 points during the 2023-24 season were just one off the franchise record set by their only Stanley Cup-winning team in 1998-99. He is 662-447-152 overall in 17 seasons with Dallas, New Jersey, Florida, Vegas and San Jose, plus 97-82 in 10 postseason appearances. Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said the day after the season finale that DeBoer was a seasoned coach, top three to top five in the league, and that he didn't see firing DeBoer being on anyone's agenda. Something certainly changed since then with DeBoer, who had one season remaining on his contract. This was the sixth time in seven seasons, with three different teams, that DeBoer took a team to the brink of the Stanley Cup Final. That included the NHL semifinals during the 2021 season with Vegas when there were no conference-based playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stars last went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, the playoff held in the bubble in Canada because of the pandemic. They won the West final that year in five games over DeBoer-coached Vegas. Dallas was led by Rick Bowness, who replaced the fired Jim Montgomery during the season. DeBoer was hired after the Stars moved on from Bowness. ___
