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3 hours ago
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The Chicago Cubs are leading the National League Central and could soon pull away from the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. However, they may need some pitching help to do so.
Neither the Cubs' four-game lead on the Cardinals nor their 5 1/2 game lead on the Brewers seems necessarily safe. The Cubs lost Justin Steele for the year and Shōta Imanaga is on the injured list. The Cubs starters have a 3.90 ERA this year, good for 18th in the league. They could be looking for starters at the deadline, and Just Baseball's Zach Lutz suggested Zac Gallen could be in play.
"The Cubs, with a top-tier offense and Justin Steele done for the year, could use an arm like (Framber) Valdez or Gallen," wrote Lutz. "They have a deep farm system and could go big."
Gallen has not been at his best this year. However, he could be the best pitcher available at the trade deadline. He has a 5.14 ERA in 14 starts and is leading the National League in walks issued. Since 2022, Gallen has a 3.46 ERA in 107 starts. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not destined to be sellers. However, they could be headed in that direction.
The team is fourth in the National League West, and Corbin Burnes is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. They have an uphill battle to the postseason. They are six games out of a Wild Card spot, and could be out of contention by the July 31 deadline.
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If that's the case, Gallen could be the first of their players to go. The former All-Star will be a free agent after this season, and Spotrac projects him to earn a six-year, $116 million deal. The Diamondbacks may not want to pay that after giving Burnes a $210 million deal last offseason.
Adding Gallen to the top of the rotation would help the Cubs start to pull away from the Cardinals and Brewers. If the Cubs can work with him to get his command under control, he could end up being a key player down the stretch.
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