Mets Weigh Trade for Diamondbacks Pitcher Zac Gallen Amidst Inconsistent Contract Year

The New York Mets are reportedly considering a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen, evaluating the pros and cons of acquiring the former ace. While Gallen boasts an impressive pedigree, including three top-10 NL Cy Young finishes and a 2023 third-place finish, he is currently experiencing a challenging contract year, holding a 7-10 record with a 5.40 ERA through 20 starts, and career-worst rates in home runs, strikeouts, and hits allowed per nine innings. Despite these struggles, Gallen recently demonstrated his past form with two strong outings, yielding just one earned run over 13 innings against the Giants and Padres, striking out 19. The Mets' interest stems from their rotation's recent struggles and depth concerns, but a potential acquisition of Gallen could come with a high prospect cost due to market inflation, despite his current inconsistent performance.