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By Andrew Wright
Contributing Sports Writer
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An offseason haul that included Josh Naylor, Corbin Burnes and others had the Arizona Diamondbacks looking like the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
The early part of the season indicated Arizona would indeed be a thorn in the side of the Dodgers and one of the best teams in the NL. The last two weeks have proved the opposite of that, as the Diamondbacks have fallen to 29-31 and fourth place in the division.
Because of that slide, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer has predicted Arizona will move former Cy Young winner Zac Gallen prior to the trade deadline.
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"Things have taken a turn for the weird for Gallen since his sustained run as a Cy Young-caliber ace between 2020 and 2023," Rymer writes. "The 32 walks are especially out of character, and the decline in his fastball velocity to just 93.2 mph is also a concern. Yet the knuckle-curve and the changeup still play as bat-missing pitches, and the worst you'll get with him is a guy who can give you six innings regularly. Like with Alcantara, the best you'll get is a No. 1."
Along with the 32 walks, Gallen's 5.13 ERA is also another area of concern. He has just four starts this season in which he's allowed less than two earned runs, with Tuesday's outing being the most recent one. He has allowed at least four earned runs in seven of his 13 starts this season, matching the number of times he did that all of last season.
Another thing that could factor into Gallen being a potential trade candidate would be his contract situation. He is set to be a free agent after this season, making him an even more attractive half-season rental for a playoff hopeful team.
Gallen's ability to improve his season stats, combined with Arizona's failure to improve on its record and playoff chances, could make him one of the most coveted trade targets if the Diamondbacks decide to make him available.
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