A false report gave Zac Gallen’s family a scare during this offseason. Trade rumors about players are very normal, and they are used to it. However, one sudden claim that linked Gallen to the Chicago Cubs caught everyone off guard. The news was so sudden that it shocked his then-fiancée, Elise. Gallen recently revealed just how chaotic those 20 minutes were, starting with a frantic call from his soon-to-be wife.

Gallen was getting linked to the Cubs. However, there was nothing concrete about the information. However, all of that changed when Bob Nightengale dropped a major update.

“The Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing an agreement with free agent starter Zac Gallen on a multi-year deal,” Nightengale reported.

Zac Gallen, during a recent interview, said that it was not the correct info and that it had put the whole family in panic.

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“There was a hectic kind of 20 minutes or so there,” the Diamondbacks pitcher said. “I was getting calls from family, and then my now wife was like, ‘We’re going to Chicago?’ I’m like, ‘no, I’ll let you know if we’re going to Chicago.'” The fact that this news came close to their wedding day made it even worse.

Rumors kept linking Zac Gallen to the Cubs during the 2026 offseason, but nothing ever felt real. Gallen himself was not aware of any Chicago move when the rumors started spreading. Reports stayed at the discussion stage, with no final push from either side.

Fans followed it closely, but the signs never pointed to an actual signing happening. In fact, many of the fans were surprised to hear that the Cubs were linked.

The Chicago Cubs’ interest felt surprising because their rotation was already taking shape for 2026. They had Cabrera, Imanaga, Taillon, Boyd, and Horton lined up for Opening Day. Justin Steele was also expected back by mid-season after recovering from a UCL revision surgery.

They even traded a top prospect just to bring in Edward Cabrera. With that group in place, adding another top starter did not look urgent.

And because of that depth, Zac Gallen did not really feel the need for Chicago. His 2025 season was uneven; he posted a career-worst 4.83 ERA, which cooled his market value a bit. Even then, his past numbers still make him a strong starter if he is in good rhythm. But the Cubs already had around six usable starters, counting returning players and depth arms.

But Gallen also seemed more open to staying in Arizona than moving to Chicago. He is comfortable there and has spoken positively about the Diamondbacks. Gallen even said, “I love it here,” and later also emphasized that the return to Arizona was “awesome.”

Arizona also has a real hole in their rotation after Corbin Burnes got injured and had a Tommy John in June of 2025. Merrill Kelly helps them, but he does not fully replace that top starter role.

Compared to that, the Cubs’ situation looks more settled.

Has re-signing Zac Gallen paid off?

There might have been a rumor of the Cubs, but Zac Gallen ended up with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And how is that looking for him now?

The Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed Zac Gallen on a one-year, $22 million deal for 2026. It was a safe “prove-it” contract that made sense for both parties after his inconsistent 2025 season.

In 2025, Zac Gallen didn’t look his usual self and was wayward with his pitching. His fastball declined, and his mechanics fluctuated. Several starts included early traffic on bases, leading to pressure throughout innings. He finished the 2025 season with a 13-15 record with a career-worst ERA of 4.83 over 192 innings.

Overall, the 2025 season left questions about consistency without providing any hope for the next season.

But in 2026, Gallen has a 1-1 record with a 3.51 ERA. He recorded 25.2 innings pitched with a 1.48 WHIP. His strongest outing came versus Detroit with 6 scoreless innings and 0 earned runs. He also held the Mets to 1 earned run while striking out 5 batters.

These early results show better control than last season and improved game management.

It is still very early in 2026 to judge his overall performance. Everyone is watching closely as every start on the mound brings hope and concern. So far, results suggest he is performing better than his difficult 2025 season. The numbers suggest stability with room for growth across the upcoming years.

Zac Gallen is doing a good job early, but there is a lot of baseball to be played to say that he is back to his best.