Cubs Now Favorites to Sign Top Free Agent Left?
And then there were three? Earlier this week the Chicago Cubs were once again thrown into the rumor news cycle involving the top free agent left on the market. Now, one of the Cubs’ top competitors for right-handed starting pitcher Zac Gallen is out of the running after they pivoted in free agency and went with a different veteran arm.
The Baltimore Orioles are as pitching-needy of a team who is trying to win in 2026 as you can get. The AL East squad had high expectations last year and two weeks before Memorial Day the Orioles had already fired their manager Brandon Hyde. Following two consecutive trips to the postseason Baltimore failed to finish above .500, in 2025, and ended the season with a combined 4.65 ERA from the starting rotation. That mark ranked 24th in MLB and third-worst in the American League.
Orioles fans have been extremely frustrated by their team’s front office and lack of aggressiveness when it came to adding to the starting rotation, which is why Baltimore remained a realistic landing spot for Gallen. Earlier in the offseason the Orioles re-signed Zach Eflin and also traded for Shane Baz.
Yet, they weren’t willing to pay up for Gallen and instead have signed Chris Bassitt to a one-year contract.
A safe bet for the Orioles as they went for the high floor that Bassitt provides. The righty has made at least 30 starts in each of the last four seasons, logging 170+ innings per year and maintaining an ERA under four.
Favorites to Sign Gallen
So, who is going to end up signing Gallen?
Well, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale specifically listed the Cubs along with the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Orioles as the teams most interested in signing Gallen. And well, now you can cross off the Orioles after their Bassitt signing.
Signing Gallen Makes Sense for Cubs
Much has been made about the Cubs’ pitching depth entering the 2026 season and while the team certainly has a plethora of veteran arms, experienced swing pitchers and promising prospects on the doorstep of MLB there are two major factors that make a Gallen signing ideal.
First off, the Cubs have several pitchers with injury concerns. Justin Steele is recovering from elbow surgery and isn’t expected to return until at least May at the earliest. Edward Cabrera has a long track record of IL stints and has only pitched more than 100 innings in the majors once in his career. Matthew Boyd had a stellar 2025 season, but that was the left-hander’s first full healthy year since 2019.
Jameson Taillon has missed time on the injured list with various issues since signing with the Cubs, while Cade Horton missed the majority of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. Finally, while he’s been healthy for most of his career and didn’t deal with an arm injury, Shōta Imanaga was sidelined in 2025 because of a hamstring strain.
Lots of risk there on the injury front.
Secondly, the Cubs have to keep an eye on the future. The 2026 pitching staff is loaded with quality depth, but the team could be losing several veterans in free agency. Taillon, Imanaga, Boyd and Colin Rea can all be free agents following this season.
Gallen might be coming off a down year, but the Cubs remain in the mix because they obviously believe in his ability and their plan to get the former Cy Young contender back on track. As we’ve been saying in all these Gallen updates the main hiccup between him and the Cubs is most likely when he’ll be given the opportunity to opt out. Gallen would obviously prefer to opt out after year one and the Cubs certainly don’t want that.
Could they work out a contract that includes an opt out after year two? We’ll see.