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The return of Lance McCullers over the weekend signaled the flaw the Houston Astros may have when mapping out their starting rotation for the remainder of the season. McCullers was tagged for 8 runs on 7 hits in less than 4 innings of work. On the season, McCullers' ERA sits at 6.61, and given the injuries in the starting rotation, it would seem likely that the Astros will be in the market for a starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline.
The issue for teams in the market for starting pitching at this year's deadline is that there aren't many clear upgrades available on the market. Nearly every potential pitcher available would arrive at their new team with some form of question mark. For the Astros, if they are going to take a gamble on adding a starting pitcher, it may be in their best interest to take a look
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen, like so many of the other pitchers on the trade market, has struggled this season. A former Cy Young candidate in the National League, Gallen has looked awful in 2025. In 17 starts this season, Gallen has a 5.75 ERA. Outside of Gallen's strikeout percentage and walk percentage declining away from his career averages, the biggest outlier for the veteran pitcher appears to be his knuckle curve. It used to be his put-away pitch, but this season, the value of the pitch has plummeted to -3.7 runs.
Houston should be eyeing one-time ace Zac Gallen as trade deadline bargain
If the Diamondbacks choose to sell, they would be willing to move Gallen, who will be a free agent after the season. Considering his struggles, the Diamondbacks would essentially be giving him away for pennies on the dollar. That could be of interest for the Astros, who likely will want to make a larger trade for a left-handed bat for the deadline.
Fixing veteran pitchers has been something that the Astros have thrived at in recent years. In fact, a move for Gallen would be similar to the risk the Astros took in trading for Yusei Kikuchi last season. After posting a 4.75 ERA with the Blue Jays to open the 2024 season, Kikuchi thrived after his trade to the Astros, posting a 2.70 ERA in his final 10 starts of the season.
Gallen could be a similar success story for the Astros, especially if they can fix his knuckle curve, which, in turn, would improve his ability to miss bats once again.